Age-related macular degeneration

Our Corporate Bureau
03 January 2000

The macula is the delicate layer of nerve tissue lining the inside of the eye. It is positioned at the centre of the retina and is the focal point for images focussed by the cornea and lens.

The macula provides the sharpest focus required for reading, central vision for looking at objects lying straight ahead and colour vision. Macular degeneration disrupts these functions and visual impairment ranges from the mild to severe. However, macular degeneration never leads to total blindness.

Unlike the cornea or the lens, the macula cannot be replaced and transplanted. Further, if the macula does not function, corneal or cataract surgeries will not improve vision and new glasses may not help.

The disorder is divided into dry and wet macular degeneration. Dry macular degeneration is the most common form. It manifests as a salt-and-pepper change with yellow deposits in the macula on examination. It has been estimated that nearly a third of all persons over age 70 have some degree of dry macular degeneration. So it is almost normal to have it!

Usually people with this form have mild blurring of vision that progresses over a period of years. Some people, however, do develop a more severe kind and can experience significant loss of central vision. Unfortunately, there are no proven therapies for dry macular degeneration.

Wet macular degeneration can develop out of dry macular degeneration. For unknown reasons, abnormal bleeding and scarring can develop in the macula, causing relatively rapid loss of central vision. Most people with severe vision loss from macular degeneration have this form.