Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a condition that affects your macula, an area located in the center of your retina. The macula controls central vision, which allows you to see things clearly in front of you. Over time, AMD gradually impairs your central vision, eventually leading to low vision. This can be a hard transition, but it is possible, and we’re here to help.
February is AMD awareness Month, so let’s take this opportunity to find out more about it. Residents of the Pelham Gardens area of the Bronx, New York, can find help with macular degeneration and many other vision problems from the medical team at Bronx Eye Associates.
Age-related macular degeneration affects your central vision and is most common in people over 50, but it can also occur in younger people with a family history of the illness, who smoke, are obese, or have hypertension.
There are two different types of AMD in one or both eyes: dry or wet. Most people with this problem have the dry form (90%), in which deposits of a protein called drusen accumulate under the macula. The wet form happens due to the development of abnormal blood vessels under the retina and macula.
AMD progresses in stages as your vision decreases, starting with blurriness or a blind spot. Its gradual development can make it harder to detect at first, but over time, it becomes increasingly difficult to see things as clearly when reading or driving. Depth perception, contrast sensitivity, and night vision also become compromised as AMD progresses.
Eventually, basic tasks like cooking, recognizing people’s faces, watching TV, and navigating unfamiliar places become harder.
You never completely lose your vision; however, your peripheral vision remains, and over time, your eyes adapt to the information your decreased vision produces. How you adapt to your new vision depends on the severity of the loss.
Minor vision loss can be managed with small changes, such as brighter lights, anti-glare glasses, magnifying glasses, and changing device settings to make letters larger.
More severe issues will likely require a specialist to help you cope, training you to do things like setting up your home to make it easier to get around, using a magnifying glass to read, adjusting device settings for easier use, and sharing other resources to help.
Low vision represents a big change in your life, but you can still enjoy it, and we can guide you along the way. Schedule an appointment with the team at Bronx Eye Associates today to see how we can help.
