3 Early Signs of Macular Degeneration

3 Early Signs of Macular Degeneration

Macular degeneration is an age-related eye disease that progressively worsens over time. It is a common eye disorder mostly affecting individuals aged 50-years old and above. Macular degeneration occurs due as the macular lining, a small central part of the retina that senses the light and is responsible for clear vision, thins out. This wearing out leads to blurred or reduced vision, and in extreme cases, it can lead to permanent loss of vision.
Common symptoms of macular degeneration include:

1. Blurred or fuzzy vision
Blurred vision may indicate several disorders. However, it could also indicate that you may have developed macular degeneration. Blurred or fuzzy vision is the main early symptom of the condition. As indicated, macular degeneration occurs when the macular, part of the retina, wears out. The retina is responsible for the clear vision in your direct line of sight.
Individuals suffering from wet macular degeneration may experience a fuzzy-like vision due to the leaking of blood vessels beneath the retina. Moreover, individuals may experience severe loss of straight-ahead vision. For individuals suffering from dry macular degeneration, the formation of yellow deposits may result in blurred vision. Patients with advanced macular degeneration are considered legally binding. Thus, for individuals 50 years and above, it is crucial to seek medical attention. Once the disorder is diagnosed in the early stages, the symptom can be reduced, and total vision loss can be prevented.

2. Difficulty reading or seeing details in low light levels
With age-related macular degeneration, vision loss and difficulty in completing reading tasks occur gradually and at different rates. As indicated, alteration of the macular affects the vision of an individual.
Thus, they may experience difficulties in driving low light levels, seeing, and reading. Once you begin to experience such symptoms, it is crucial to seek medical attention for early diagnosis. In extreme cases, you may lose the total ability to complete reading and driving activities.

3. Extra Sensitivity to Glare
Glare sensitivity is a major early symptom of macular degeneration. Individuals with the symptom are unable to separate the contours of brightly lit objects.
This symptom is mainly caused by the formation of a yellow precipitate in the retina. Thus, it clogs the eye of the lens, affecting the quality of the vision.

Macular degeneration is mainly divided into two categories; wet macular degeneration and dry macular degeneration. Individuals experiencing dry macular degeneration appear to have yellow deposits in their macular. As the deposits grow big, they might distort your vision, especially when you drive or read. As the condition becomes severe, the macular wears out and eventually dies. With wet macular degeneration, blood vessels growing underneath your macular leak blood and fluids into the retina. If the condition continues, it could result in blind spots and complete loss of vision. There are also several types of macular degeneration affecting children and young adults, known as Stargardt disease or juvenile macular degeneration.