A Look at Macular Degeneration

I am one of the lucky ones. One day I was driving along a busy street in our city, when all of a sudden, I was blind. My retina had burst. A visit to the eye doctor quickly revealed not only the burst retina, but an eye disorder that seems prominent in my family, Macular Degeneration.

What is Macular Degeneration?

Macular Degeneration affects the central vision. Text becomes wavy and sometimes things might disappear, right before your eyes. It isn't a magic trick. It is a blind spot. I have been known to read a paragraph and become confused when it makes no sense, only to go back and look at it again to find the words I didn't see previously, have magically reappeared.

There are two types of Macular Degeneration called the "wet" form and "dry" form.

To my knowledge, there is not currently an effective treatment for the dry form of Macular Degeneration. However, I believe, there are currently some experimental trials available. Though the dry form of macular degeneration is less treatable, according to EyeMDLink.com, the wet form is more visually debilitating.

The wet form of Macular Degeneration is treated with a laser surgery to coagulate the choroidal neovascular membrane (CNVM). This in regular folk's terms is the leaky vessel or vessels to the macula. This treatment generally stops the leak, at least for a time.

The wet form of Macular Degeneration is when these tiny vessels break through to the Bruch's membrane. This can cause swelling and localized bleeding of the vessels.

Who is most at risk?

According to the Mayo Clinic, risk factors include:

*Age. People age 60 and older. *(note: I was only 50 when I was diagnosed. The age of 60 is a generalization)

*Family history of macular degeneration.

*Race. Macular degeneration is more common in Caucasians than it is in other races.

*Sex. Women are more likely than men are to develop macular degeneration.

*Cigarette smoking. Cigarette smoking is the single most preventable cause of macular degeneration.

*Obesity.

*Light-colored eyes. People with light-colored eyes appear to be at greater risk than do those with darker eyes.

* Exposure to sunlight.

* Low levels of nutrients. This includes low blood levels of minerals, such as zinc, and of antioxidant vitamins, such as A, C and E. Antioxidants may protect your cells from oxygen damage (oxidation), which may partially be responsible for the effects of aging and for the development of certain diseases such as macular degeneration.

* Cardiovascular diseases. These include high blood pressure, stroke, heart attack and coronary artery disease with chest pain (angina).

Why am I Lucky?

Because my retina burst, I saw the eye doctor early on. Because of this, I regained 70% of my vision. My surgeon told me at the time, though it was not unheard of, he had never personally seen that much improvement. Had I waited, it is likely the progression would have been much worse and the results might have been less favorable.