What Is Dry Macular Degeneration?One of the primary reasons for official blindness especially among older Caucasians (though much rarer in other races) is ARMD or Age related macular degeneration. This particular type of degenerative condition targets our central vision, though it doesn't attack our peripheral vision and leaves it intact. If affects at least a third of Caucasians who are over 75 years of age. Though the exact cause for this condition is not known, it has been found that there may be a genetic link. Other factors of risk for ARMD include contact with ultraviolet light, smoking, advanced age, hyperopia, ARMD inherited genetically, and hypertension. Lack of proper nutrition can also be a factor. Dry Macular degeneration can also be connected to bleeding in our retina (wet) or a general atrophy as well as deterioration of our dry macula. It is one of the most common types of degeneration, and progresses slowly and steadily. Drusen or deposits collected in the macula, is the main clinical symptom of the dry type. Found rooted deep in our central retina, Drusen are considered to be primarily metabolic by-products. As ARMD progresses, the rising number of drusen tend to cause interference with our macula's high metabolic rate and our capacity to process this waste, thus causing our vision to degenerate over time. The rigorousness of the symptoms tend to vary a lot, and are largely dependent on the level of progression of the disease. Patients who suffer from this disease would notice an increasing difficulty in performing simple tasks like reading when they are in the early stages of this disease. Reading is an activity that requires sharp and clear central vision. With further progression of the disease, it can cause distortion of our central vision, and straight lines may appear wavy or bent. For those who are in the more advanced stage of this disease, they are highly likely to experience a total loss of central vision. Diagnosis And Treatment Procedures For ARMD The patient's symptoms largely form the foundation of the diagnosis of dry macular degeneration, along with the appearance of retina when the patient is being examined. Though no specific treatment exists for dry ARMD, there is a large magnitude of studies in progress to help us tackle the issue of how we can prevent this disease and ultimately treat it. Patients with dry macular are advised to monitor their vision on a daily basis with the aid of an Amsler Grid which will enable them to track the development of the disease regularly, and check for a change in vision quality. A sudden decline in vision or any new visual symptom can be an indication of bleeding in the retinal area, or wet macular. If this happens, you should call your ophthalmologist immediately to see whether any treatment has to be made. |