Can Macular Degeneration Cause Blindness

Patients with macular degeneration lose their central vision.

Can macular degeneration cause blindness.

People 55 and older are at the highest risk of developing amd. Color blindness is caused by an altered gene causing a cone cell to lack the proper molecular pigment. Does everyone with macular degeneration eventually go blind. There are some forms of macular degeneration that can cause a rapid deterioration of vision unfortunately.

Dry macular degeneration usually affects both eyes. 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 doesn t affect side peripheral vision so it rarely causes total blindness. Macular degeneration is a serious condition that can lead to legal blindness in older adults.

It s estimated that more than 10 million americans have this disease. These changes may be the first indication of macular degeneration particularly if you re older than age 50. When the photoreceptors in the macula degrade patients go blind. It s also the number one.

Macular degeneration doesn t cause total blindness because it doesn t affect your peripheral vision. For patients over 55 years of age macular degeneration is the leading cause of severe vision loss. The cell is healthy in all other respects. And the condition doesn t affect side peripheral vision so it rarely causes total blindness.

Learn more about what causes macular degeneration. While there is no specific cause risk factors include smoking and some blood pressure medications. A great many of those cases stem from macular degeneration which currently impacts 10 million people who either have the condition or are at severe risk of contracting it. 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.

Loss of color perception due to macular degeneration is the result of a normally formed cell losing its ability to function. 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. When the central region of the retina starts to deteriorate macular degeneration occurs. You notice changes in your central vision.

The patients lose their ability to take part in activities. See your eye doctor if. When to see a doctor.