AMD or age-related macular degeneration is a condition that causes progressive loss of vision. It causes deterioration of the macula, making it hard to go about your daily activities. It compromises your straight-ahead vision. Hence, it becomes difficult to read, write, drive, and recognize people’s faces. It also compromises your ability to play sports and enjoy other activities.

What Happens?

It begins with degenerative proteins or drusen. These tiny particles deposit under the retina, the hallmarks of AMD. They lead to the degeneration of the structural support of the retina, causing abnormal growth of blood vessels.

The blood vessels are weak in comparison to the normal blood vessels. They leak blood and fluid into the eye. When they grow on the macula, they form scars, resulting in age-related macular degeneration.

How Does It Affect Your Sight?

AMD causes objects and images to appear blurry and have dark spots. As the condition progresses, the dark spots increase in size. It also distorts straight lines, making them appear curvy. The macula is responsible for color. Hence, its degeneration compromises how you see color. It causes colors to appear darker or less vivid than before.

AMD also makes it hard to go about your daily activities as it compromises your ability to drive, read, write, and recognize people’s faces. But with your peripheral vision, you can do a few activities.

Types of AMD

There are two primary types of AMD, each with a different cause. These include dry AMD and wet AMD.

Dry AMD

It is the most common type of AMD. It is a result of age. However, genetics and environment also play a role in it. It causes the macular to become thinner with age, affecting the light-sensitive cells. It does this one eye at a time and gradually, with no early warning signs.

It happens in three stages: early, intermediate, and late. However, it may take several years before the condition develops into the late stage.

Wet AMD

Wet AMD is the less common type of this condition. It develops when there is an abnormality; weaker blood vessels grow under the retina and the macula. These blood vessels leak into the eye and cause scarring on the macula. They compromise your central vision and your ability to see color. The bleeding is what earns this type of AMD its name.

Symptoms of AMD

There are no early warning signs of AMD. However, you may notice that your sight is blurry, and it is hard to recognize objects. You may not perceive color like before. It may also distort straight lines. The blur may increase with time, making it hard to go about your everyday activities.

Risk Factors of AMD

Although the exact cause of AMD is not clear, several factors contribute to its development. These include:
 

• Age.
   

• Race.
   

• Exposure to the sun.
   

• Heart disease.
   

• Obesity.
   

• High cholesterol.
   

• High blood pressure.
   

• Family history or genetics.
   

• Smoking.
   

• Poor diet.

Some of the risk factors above require a change of habits. You may need to exercise and eat a healthy diet. However, you cannot control the others. Therefore, you need to go for regular eye exams. It allows the doctor to catch the condition early and slow down its progression.

For more on AMD, visit Sacramento Eye Consultants at our office in Sacramento or Lincoln, California. You can call (916) 915-0300 today to schedule an appointment.