A glancing look at macular degeneration
2/15/2024 by Ashley Stantz, M.D.
The macula is found in the center of the retina in the back of the eye. It's responsible for high-quality central and color vision. Your medical clinicians will see the macula as a subtle dark spot when they examine your retina.
If the macula becomes diseased, significant problems in vision may develop. You can notice these changes through the blurring of central vision, trouble reading, and difficulty driving and recognizing faces. Vision changes vary greatly from one person to another with some experiencing a crippling loss of vision and others noticing only mild changes. The outer areas of vision, or the peripheral vision, are not affected.
Your clinician can differentiate between macular degeneration and Drusen deposits, which can be normal and are usually associated with older age. Small deposits of Drusen made of proteins and fats under the surface of the retina are usually asymptomatic. However, a large accumulation of Drusen may cause loss of vision and is also associated with the development of macular degeneration.
There are two types of age-related macular disease, and both develop similar vision difficulties.
- Dry macular degeneration is caused by thinning of the macula, decreasing the eye's ability to function properly. Unfortunately, there is no way to reverse the damage done by dry macular degeneration, but your clinician may have recommendations on supplements, rehabilitation for vision or even surgical options, depending on how severe the vision loss has become.
- Wet macular degeneration is caused by leaking blood vessels within the macula, causing an accumulation of fluid and blood. An important distinction to realize between dry and wet macular degeneration is that the symptoms of wet degeneration develop suddenly and worsen rapidly. It's important to note that wet macular degeneration might be reversible if treated quickly.
Preserving our precious vision is critical for quality of life. Following a balanced diet, avoiding toxins like cigarette smoke, exercising regularly, seeing your eye specialist and regular visits with your medical team may help reduce the risk of developing macular degeneration.
Ashley Stantz, M.D., is a geriatric medicine resident at Mayo Clinic in Rochester. She has specialized in the care of older adults to preserve their dignity and quality of life for over 20 years, starting long before her interest in medicine.