Understanding Macular Degeneration

Macular degeneration develops when the central portion of the retina (the macula) begins to deteriorate. The macula focuses central vision in the eye, allowing us to read, drive, recognize faces, and see fine detail.

When the macula is working correctly, it collects detailed images in the center of your vision and sends them to the brain via the optic nerve. The brain then interprets them as sight. When the cells in the macula deteriorate, the images are received incorrectly and vision problems occur.

The symptoms

The symptoms of macular degeneration depend on whether the disease is in the early, intermediate, or late stages:

• Early. In the early stages of macular degeneration, your vision likely won’t be affected. However, the disease can still be detected during a regular eye exam.
• Intermediate. As the disease progresses, you may experience wavy or blurry vision.
• Late. At its most advanced stage, you may completely lose your central vision.

With macular degeneration, it’s possible to retain your peripheral vision. However, this is not as clear as central vision, so it is very common to be considered legally blind with this disease.