Your retina plays a crucial role in your vision.
The center of the retina, located in the back of your eyes, is the macula. A condition known as macular degeneration affects your ability to see things clearly directly in front of you.
It is the number one cause of vision loss in America, and almost 20 million people are struggling with it. Macular degeneration comes in two forms and develops gradually.
Let’s help you better understand this condition and share some surprising facts about it.
Drs. Hena Khaja, Soha Rafi, and our medical staff at Texas Eye Doctors, P.A., help residents of McKinney, Texas, cope with the effects of vision loss from macular degeneration and other eye conditions.
The ability to see things directly in front of you, known as central vision, is one of the major tasks of your macula. Unfortunately, macular degeneration reduces its function.
It doesn’t lead to complete blindness. However, it does cause blurred vision, reduced ability to see in low light, straight lines to appear curved or wavy, dark or blank spots, and color distortions.
Two forms of this condition lead to vision damage, with dry (atrophic) happening far more frequently, at nearly 90%. This type of macular degeneration is caused by deposits of the protein drusen building up under your macula.
It happens slowly, and in the early stages, it is barely noticeable. While common in the older population, it also happens to people with a family history, those who are overweight, and in people who smoke, have hypertension, indulge in diets high in saturated fats, or are white.
Now, for some less commonly known data about this illness:
Worldwide, 5% of people dealing with some form of blindness have macular degeneration, with the total number estimated to rise to 288 million as soon as 2040. It also ranks third globally, behind only glaucoma and cataracts.
The protein buildup that leads to this condition occurs over many years, with people not noticing any signs until a decade into it.
In America, this disease is as widespread as many cancers combined and is over twice as prevalent as conditions like Alzheimer’s disease.
Over time, dry macular degeneration can develop into the wet form, which is a more severe type. In very rare cases, this type of macular degeneration can progress to the point of being considered legally blind.
This disease is not curable, but we can slow down its progression with proper medical care. Make an appointment with Drs. Khaja, Rafi, and our staff at Texas Eye Doctors, P.A., today to find out how we can help.
