Age related macular degeneration is one of the leading causes of blindness among people aged 60 or above, destroying central vision gradually and leading to complete blindness over time.

The macula is the portion of our retina which provides central vision and allows us to perceive fine details and colors clearly. Macula disorders may take either dry form or more serious wet form forms of progression.

Blurred or hazy vision

Blurred or hazy vision is one of the telltale signs of macular degeneration in older people, as macular degeneration decreases your central vision – the area at the center of your retina that allows you to read, drive and recognize faces – but does not generally affect side or peripheral vision. Furthermore, this condition may make daily tasks such as applying makeup and climbing stairs more challenging than before.

The dry type of senile macular degeneration accounts for roughly 85 percent of cases. This form occurs when deposits of fat known as drusen build up behind the retina in one or both eyes, leading to it to thin out and break down over time and leading to central vision loss, although not full blindness.

10-15% of patients suffering from senile macular degeneration progress to wet macular degeneration, where abnormal blood vessels begin to proliferate beneath the macula and release fluid that distorts and blurs vision. This form can be far more dangerous than its dry counterpart and accounts for nearly 90% of cases of severe visual loss associated with macular degeneration.

Blurry or hazy vision in any setting should be evaluated immediately by your physician as this could be an early indicator of macular degeneration. Other potential causes may include ocular surface diseases, changing glasses prescription, neurological disorders or eye injuries – it’s especially important if sudden blurring appears with symptoms like eye pain or peripheral (side) vision loss.

Less common symptoms of macular degeneration include black or dark spots in the middle of your vision, signaling its advanced stage and that significant vision loss will likely follow soon after. A simple test such as an Amsler grid may help diagnose whether blurriness in your central vision may be due to macular degeneration or another condition.

Difficulty recognizing faces or objects

The central portion of our retina, known as the macula, enables us to see fine details clearly for activities such as threading a needle, driving safely or recognising faces. Macular degeneration is the gradual breakdown of this area that makes clear vision more difficult or even impossible – this condition is known as Age-Related Macular Degeneration or AMD and affects everyone over 50; although its prevalence increases over time.

Macular degeneration most often takes the form of dry macular degeneration, where tiny yellow or white deposits known as drusen appear under the retina and gradually damage light-sensitive cells in the macula. It is the leading cause of severe vision loss among adults over 55 and often does not present itself with noticeable symptoms until advanced stages, though early signs may be detectable with dilated eye exams.

Wet macular degeneration is less frequent but more serious. It occurs when abnormal blood vessels form beneath the retina and begin leaking fluid or blood, leading to swelling of and damage to your macula and rapid vision loss. Symptoms include blurry or distorted straight lines, lack of color saturation and blind spots in your field of vision.

Multiple factors may increase your risk of AMD, such as family history, age, smoking, high cholesterol levels and cardiovascular disease. Most cases of macular degeneration cannot be avoided completely; however leading a healthy lifestyle and visiting vision care specialists regularly may help to delay it and delay AMD onset.

If you’re having difficulty with recognizing faces or objects, make an appointment with your eye doctor to get an eye exam. Your physician will conduct an eye health screening and ask you to view an Amsler grid – a series of straight lines with parts appearing wavy or missing that could indicate macular degeneration. Antioxidant vitamins can slow its progress; additionally consuming more fruits and vegetables containing blueberries and lutein may protect against its effects; avoid foods high in saturated fat content to further minimize their impact.

Difficulty driving at night

Difficulty driving at night is one of the telltale signs of advanced macular degeneration. Macular degeneration affects central vision, essential for driving and reading; making it hard to see street signs, lane markings and oncoming headlights due to blurriness caused by macular degeneration affecting retina, which causes blurriness centrally within one’s field of view; yet does not alter peripheral vision which still remains clear and allows people to see out of either corner of their eye.

People living with macular degeneration should be honest with themselves regarding their ability to drive at night. Age-related vision decline can make night driving increasingly challenging; many older drivers don’t realize how challenging their driving is until an accident happens. If someone is having difficulty, they should discuss this with their physician and consider other forms of transportation options available to them.

On the positive side, people with dry AMD may have some control over its progression. According to studies, certain supplements may slow its progress. A diet rich in leafy greens and other foods containing lutein and zeaxanthin is recommended in order to lower risk. Smoking should also be avoided and maintained at healthy weight in order to lower macular degeneration risk.

As macular degeneration symptoms can vary widely, it’s essential that you monitor and schedule regular appointments with an eye doctor in order to identify its early symptoms and receive prompt treatment as soon as possible – this will protect both your vision and preserve its preservation.

Researchers published in Ophthalmology found in their November study that early age-related macular degeneration patients who reported difficulty driving at night were more likely to progress to advanced AMD than those who had better nighttime vision. A 10-item questionnaire was used in this research study to measure nighttime driving performance and discomfort caused by intermittent glare; hopefully this tool will become an easy, cost-effective method of assessing patients’ driving abilities without getting behind the wheel itself.

Blind spots

The macula, located at the central portion of our retinas, plays an essential role in vision. It allows us to read, drive and recognize colors and faces; while with macular degeneration advancing further, its function may deteriorate further, leading to blurred or blind spots in central vision resulting in central vision loss which often includes difficulty driving, recognising faces or objects and finding things far away.

Macular degeneration tends to develop slowly and does not typically result in complete blindness, though wet AMD, where blood vessels sprout beneath the macula and leak blood and fluid into its central region, can quickly lead to rapid vision loss if left untreated.

Most cases of senile macular degeneration occur as dry type, without bleeding or fluid accumulation in the eye. Drusen accumulate on the macula; while small numbers don’t affect vision directly, as they become larger they may gradually dim or distort it over time.

Your doctor may suspect macular degeneration if you are over 60 and have recently experienced changes to your vision. An eye care professional may use drops to dilate, or widen, your pupils so he or she can better see behind your eyes.

Your doctor may ask you to examine an Amsler grid chart, consisting of straight lines that appear wavy or missing when you view them. This grid can help them detect macular degeneration as well as identify any subtle indicators that it might exist.

Your doctor might also use an ocular angiogram test to inspect your retina for any abnormal blood vessels that form under the macula, and treat for these accordingly to slow or prevent wet macular degeneration from progressing further. Treatment options could include taking vitamins and antioxidants such as those recommended by the American Academy of Ophthalmology; or perhaps using medication called the AREDS 2 formula which has been proven to decrease vision loss rates among some patients.