Can Macular Degeneration Cause Blindness

Learn more about what causes macular degeneration.

Can macular degeneration cause blindness. While there is no specific cause risk factors include smoking and some blood pressure medications. There are some forms of macular degeneration that can cause a rapid deterioration of vision unfortunately. Patients with macular degeneration lose their central vision. You notice changes in your central vision.

It s estimated that more than 10 million americans have this disease. When the photoreceptors in the macula degrade patients go blind. When the central region of the retina starts to deteriorate macular degeneration occurs. And the condition doesn t affect side peripheral vision so it rarely causes total blindness.

Dry macular degeneration usually affects both eyes. When to see a doctor. The cell is healthy in all other respects. Macular degeneration doesn t affect side peripheral vision so it rarely causes total blindness.

For patients over 55 years of age macular degeneration is the leading cause of severe vision loss. Loss of color perception due to macular degeneration is the result of a normally formed cell losing its ability to function. Your ability to see colors and fine detail becomes impaired. Advanced age related macular degeneration amd is the world s leading cause of irreversible blindness and visual impairment according to the brightfocus foundation whose funding backs research in macular degeneration and glaucoma.

These wet forms of macular degeneration involve the growth of blood vessels deep within the eye and when those vessels leak or burst they cause rapid loss of vision. See your eye doctor if. The patients lose their ability to take part in activities. Does everyone with macular degeneration eventually go blind.

Cures do not yet exist for either condition. It s also the number one. These changes may be the first indication of macular degeneration particularly if you re older than age 50. Color blindness is caused by an altered gene causing a cone cell to lack the proper molecular pigment.

If only one eye is affected you may not notice any changes in your vision because your good eye may compensate for the weak eye. A person who has been diagnosed with macular degeneration is naturally concerned about permanently losing their sight since the eye disease is the number one cause of severe blindness. Macular degeneration is a serious condition that can lead to legal blindness in older adults.