Signs and Symptoms of Dry Macular Degeneration

Dry Macular Degeneration is an age related disease that causes the deterioration of the tissue located in your central line of vision.  It affects your retina which is the layer of tissue lying inside the back of your eyeball.  Though it does not cause total blindness, Dry Macular Degeneration does cause severe blurriness and central vision blind spots which is all necessary to do the everyday tasks of life such as driving, reading or even recognizing faces.  The majority of those affected by Dry Macular Degeneration are over the age of 50, although there are cases of Juvenile Dry Macular Degeneration as well. 

The symptoms of Dry Macular Degeneration begin subtly.  It is gradual and painless when forming.  If you are over the age of 50 and find that you need a much brighter light when reading or if you have an increasingly hard time adapting your eyes to a low grade light, you may want to consult your doctor to see if you have the beginnings of Dry Macular Degeneration.  This disease does not always affect both eyes.  Often times, only one eye will be affected while the other never gets a single symptom of degeneration, making it possible to not have your lifestyle altered much. 

Many people who have been diagnosed with Dry Macular Degeneration have reported symptoms of hallucinations when their vision becomes more obscured.  Odd visions such as geometric shapes, faces and animals are those strange hallucinations reported most often.  If you are having these symptoms, do not be afraid or embarrassed to discuss these hallucinations with your physician.  You may be surprised to know that these hallucinations have a diagnosed name – Charles Bonnet syndrome. 

Specific causes for Dry Macular Degeneration are not known.  Researchers are still trying to find the root cause of this vision disorder.  In the early stages of Dry Macular Degeneration there is generally no vision damage.  Small to medium sized drusen (yellow fat-like deposits) can be detected by your ophthalmologist, but at this stage, it is only monitored.  During the second stage of degeneration, many more drusen accumulate causing blurred vision.  You may start needing to have extra light when reading or working.  You have reached the advanced stage of Dry Macular Degeneration when large drusen have gathered and cause severe blurriness. 


You are susceptible to Dry Macular Degeneration if you:

•    Over the age of 50-60
•    Smoke cigarettes
•    A woman
•    Caucasian
•    Obese
•    Light colored eyes (blue eyes are the most commonly affected)
•    UV light

You cannot stop Dry Macular Degeneration from progressing or from reversing.  Luckily, the symptoms occur at a slow pace giving you many years of normal to slightly-blurred vision.  If you have only one affected, you have a much better chance to lead a healthy active life.