Symptoms and Causes of Macular Degeneration
Macular Degeneration is an age-related eye disease. This is a
common disease that causes deterioration of the macula or the
central area of the retina. The retina is a paper-thin tissue
like structure at the back of the eye. The macula of the eye is
responsible for processing sharp, clear, straight-ahead vision.
When there is damage to the macula there is the development of
blind spots and/or blurred vision. Due to this damage every day
things such as walking and driving become difficult over time.
Macular Degeneration is not well known but it is one of the
major causes of visual impairment in the United States. In
people over the age of sixty it is the leading cause of
blindness. There are various stages of macular degeneration and
some people are affected worse than others. In the United States
today, there are approximately 1.8 million people over the age
of forty that are being affected by this disease in some way.
There are things that can increase your chances of getting
macular degeneration. One of the leading causes is smoking. It
has also been found that gender plays a role in who contracts
this disease and who does not. Research has shown that women are
more likely to suffer from macular degeneration than men are.
The reasons for this have not been found however. If there is a
person in your family who has this disease then there is a risk
of future children having the disease as well. High cholesterol
is also a contributing factor the onset of macular degeneration.
In the United States today, more Caucasians suffer from this
disease than African Americans. A poor diet can also play a role
in the onset of macular degeneration. People who do not eat the
proper amount of fruits and vegetables are more likely to suffer
from this vision problem.