As our bodies age, our eyes become more susceptible to disease. One of the leading causes of sight loss in the UK thought to affect more than 700,000 people, is macular degeneration. It is often referred to as Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) as it poses a greater risk to those over 50 years old, although it can also occur in younger age groups.

The macular is a small but important part of the eye. Typically approximately 5 mm in diameter, it forms part of the retina and is responsible for both our central and colour vision. It forms the fine details in our vision and enables the brain to form images. Once this starts to deteriorate, so does our sight.

Common symptoms

Signs and symptoms to be on the lookout for include:

• blurring, distortion or missing parts at the centre of your vision
• straight edges appearing curved
• colours appearing less bright or faded
• finding it hard to adapt to bright lights or moving between light and dark conditions

Causes

The exact cause of macular degeneration is not known but as with many diseases, age is the biggest risk factor. A poor diet, smoking, family history and high blood pressure can all play their part. More women are affected by the condition than men, but this is most likely because women, on average, live longer.

Outcomes

Macular degeneration is typically divided into two categories, dry and wet. Dry AMD occurs over a long period as retinal cells slowly die off. Wet AMD occurs when there is blood vessel damage, and it causes problems very quickly. While they can both cause sight loss and make life difficult, neither results in total blindness.

What treatment is available?

Unfortunately, there is no treatment available for dry AMD, but there are ways that it can be managed. If wet AMD is caught early enough, there are a couple of methods which can help. Patients usually respond well to either laser treatment or a series of injections to stop their vision from getting worse.

Regular check-ups

Catching wet AMD early is one good reason to have regular eye tests. Our eye exams can also detect many other eye conditions and diseases such as diabetes, so they are a good indicator of overall health too. If it’s been a while since you last got tested, we recommend getting in touch to request an appointment