The macula is an oval-shaped spot near the center of your retina and the center of your visual field. Just like the rest of the retina, the macula is responsible for sensing the light that is focused by the cornea and lens and sending this light to your brain as an image. However, the macula is special in that its structures are specialized for high acuity vision. The fovea, located in the center of the macula, has the highest density of cones (light receptors with high acuity) in the entire retina.

Macular degeneration occurs when the macula deteriorates, causing vision loss in the center of your field of vision. Although this chronic disorder does not cause total blindness, it can severely decrease a patient’s quality of life by creating a blind spot in his or her central vision. This field is necessary for many of life’s activities, including driving, reading, and recognizing other people’s faces.

The symptoms of macular degeneration typically develop gradually over a long period of time. At first, you may notice that words become blurry as you try and read them and you have difficulty adapting to lower levels of light. You may then have difficulty recognizing faces and experience hallucinations of geometric shapes or people. 

If you notice any changes in your vision, you should seriously consider seeing your eye doctor before the condition advances. Although there is no cure for this disease, your doctor may be able to help you retain many aspects of your vision. Factors that may increase your risk of developing macular degeneration include:

·        Advancing age, especially if you are age 60 or older.

·        Family history of macular degeneration.

·        Smoking.

·        Obesity.

·        High cholesterol.

·        Hypertension (high blood pressure).

·        Eating too few fruits and vegetables.

Macular degeneration is the leading cause of vision loss in the United States and affects approximately 3 million Americans. Dr. Yesnick of the YESnick Vision Center has the experience, instruments and vision-enhancing aids to diagnose and recover your visual independence from this chronic disease. If you would like to learn more about the macular degeneration services offered by the YESnick Vision Center, call our staff at (702) 966-2020.