Macular degeneration refers to deterioration of the central part of your retina (a light-sensitive tissue lining the back of the eyeball), leading to diminished central vision without altering peripheral or side vision. It usually does not impact side vision.

There are two forms of macular degeneration: dry and wet. Dry macular degeneration starts when yellow deposits known as drusen appear beneath the retina, leading to its thickening over time.

Blurred or hazy central vision

The macula is the central portion of our retina that’s responsible for seeing fine details clearly, such as reading, driving a car and recognizing faces and colors. Macular degeneration gradually worsens this vision until straight lines may appear crooked or wavy with even darker black spots appearing at their centers.

Cause: Cells in your eye that send images to your brain have stopped functioning normally, leaving the macula incapable of sending proper signals to the brain and thus diminishing your ability to see fine details while your straight ahead central vision blurs or becomes clouded over time.

If you notice changes in your vision, it is vitally important that you receive a comprehensive eye exam from an ophthalmologist immediately. They will use tests like Amsler grid analysis and fluorescein angiography – where an injectable orange dye travels from one vein in your arm directly into your retina – in order to evaluate your condition. This test provides your physician with an overall picture of blood vessels within your eyes as it travels towards retina.

Though macular degeneration can be caused by numerous factors, you can lower your risk by maintaining a healthy weight, quitting smoking, limiting exposure to UV rays and eating a nutritious diet. Regular visits with an optometrist will also allow them to monitor and treat any issues they detect as soon as they arise.

Macular degeneration is the gradual or sudden breakdown of an important area in the retina known as the macula, which allows you to clearly see fine details while doing activities such as reading and driving. When this area deteriorates or breaks down, central vision becomes fuzzy or unclear and certain tasks such as threading a needle become challenging or reading more difficult. There are two forms of macular degeneration: dry and wet. Dry macular degeneration results from yellow protein deposits called drusen that form under your macula which causes it to thin over time while wet macular degeneration happens when abnormal blood vessels grow beneath your macula resulting in rapid vision loss if left untreated quickly.

Blurred or wavy lines in your field of vision

The retina is a layer of light-sensing cells lining the back of your eyeball that converts light to images recognized by your brain. Light hitting these cells sends signals directly to your brain which are then recognized by images in your mind. Your central vision, known as macula, allows you to perceive fine details close up or far away. With macular degeneration however, your central vision becomes blurry and distorted and may impair reading, driving, or seeing faces; but don’t be alarmed; macular degeneration won’t lead directly to blindness! Millions still live their lives just fine with macular degeneration!

Macular degeneration manifests itself with symptoms like blurry distance or reading vision, dark spots in central vision and distortion of straight objects. These initial symptoms often accompany dry macular degeneration – when tiny yellow protein deposits called drusen form under your retina and spread throughout. While they don’t cause noticeable loss of vision directly, presence of drusen signals an increased risk for advanced macular degeneration.

As macular degeneration advances into its wet form, abnormal blood vessels begin to form in the choroid layer behind your retina. Unfortunately, these weak blood vessels may leak fluid or blood into retinal cells, damaging retinal cells severely and leading to sudden vision loss that may even be irreparable.

Treatment options for wet macular degeneration include medication and laser therapies. Your eye doctor may suggest nutritional supplements like vitamins C, E, lutein and zeaxanthin to slow its progress. Fluorescein angiography also offers some patients relief; during this test a dye is injected into one eye before being photographed as it travels through blood vessels on the retina.

Even though macular degeneration is a serious eye condition, millions of people continue living their lives as usual despite it. They have found ways to adapt to their reduced vision through devices and techniques that enable them to do what they enjoy, like driving, seeing faces, or working around the house. Most importantly, it is vital to get regular medical eye exams; an eye doctor will be able to detect macular degeneration early and suggest treatment options which can stop its progress.

Blind spots in your field of vision

Vision distortion or blurriness can result in blind spots – areas of blackness in your field of vision – as one of the main symptoms of macular degeneration and can occur in either eye. Central vision is damaged most commonly during macular degeneration; peripheral (side) vision typically remains clear. Drusen deposits form beneath retina in eyeball; sometimes these deposits form alongside abnormal blood vessels growing underneath retina and leak fluid or blood, leading to severe vision loss – this condition is known as wet macular degeneration.

Macular degeneration progresses from dry to wet stages; initially drusen form under the retina before eventually leading to gradual loss of central vision while surrounding areas continue to function normally.

Wet macular degeneration is less frequent but more serious, with abnormal blood vessels growing under the retina and leaking fluid or blood. This can quickly lead to significant distortion of straight-ahead vision as well as an increase in blind spot size.

If your vision changes suddenly, consult your physician immediately. There are treatments that may slow macular degeneration – some as simple as taking certain vitamins and nutritional supplements with antioxidants. Studies suggest that eating more fruits and vegetables may help prevent macular degeneration from progressing further, with foods rich in lutein and zeaxanthin such as spinach, kale and carrots providing especially effective protection. Other treatments for macular degeneration may include medication or laser therapies. In order to diagnose macular degeneration accurately and identify its severity accurately, various tests such as an Amsler Grid test to detect vision changes as well as fluorescein angiogram can be employed; your eye care professional might suggest an Amsler Grid to detect vision changes or fluorescein angiogram test might also be recommended by your eye care professional.

Seeing spots or lines in your peripheral vision

Macular degeneration occurs when the macula, located in the central retinal area of your eye, deteriorates. Your macula allows you to see fine details and straight ahead, as well as read, drive, or recognize people near you. Although central vision may become impaired over time, peripheral or side vision usually remains unchanged; macular degeneration is one of the leading causes of legal blindness among American adults aged fifty or above.

Macular degeneration comes in two forms, dry macular degeneration and wet macular degeneration. Dry macular degeneration involves gradually losing central vision over time as light-sensitive cells in the macula become damaged from age related wear-and-tear, leading to gradual central vision loss that eventually affects both eyes at different rates – in its early stages symptoms may even be confused with cataracts or another condition.

As macular degeneration advances, deposits under the retina (drusen) may become larger and more noticeable, potentially leading to distortion of straight lines or more rapid loss of central vision. If you notice these deposits alongside blurry or hazy central vision, obtaining a dilated eye exam could help diagnose whether you are developing the wet form of macular degeneration.

Wet macular degeneration occurs when abnormal blood vessels grow beneath the retina and leak fluid or blood, disrupting macula function and leading to rapid and severe loss of straight-ahead vision. Treatment options for wet AMD include drugs, photodynamic therapy and surgery.

Seeking macular degeneration treatment involves seeing floaters. These tiny clumps of gel or cells may form inside your eye’s vitreous, which fills it like jelly. Once inside, these floaters can appear as dots, circles, lines or cobwebs floating throughout your visual field and making it hard for you to focus or recognize faces you are looking at.