Age-Related Macular Degeneration:
Macular Degeneration, also referred to as Age-Related Macular Degeneration, is an eye disorder of the macula.
The macula is the central and most sensitive portion of the retina, the layer of tissue in the back of the eye that contains the light-receptive cells essential for sight. After age 50, the macula may show signs of macular degeneration—the leading cause of severe and irreversible vision loss in older Americans.
In age-related macular degeneration, or AMD, central vision and the ability to distinguish fine detail may become increasingly impaired, but peripheral vision remains unaffected. If macular function is lost completely, activities such as reading become quite difficult without the assistance of low vision aids.
There are two forms of age-related macular degeneration: "dry" macular degeneration (also known as nonneovascular or atrophic) and "wet" macular degeneration (neovascular). About 90 percent of those with age-related macular degeneration have the dry form.
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All the articles in the Vision and Eye Care area are derived from our monthly newsletter, Johns Hopkins Health After 50, and our annual Johns Hopkins White Paper: Vision.
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