What causes macular degeneration?
Macular degeneration may be caused by variety of factors. Age, genetics, nutrition, smoking and sunlight may all have an influence in the cause of macular degeneration. 

Signs and Symptoms

·         Loss of central vision:  Patients that have the dry type may gradually lose their central vision over a time period of many years.  Those patients diagnosed with wet macular degeneration may experience a sudden decrease in central vision and lose their central vision over a time period of second, minutes or hours. 

·         Difficulty reading or performing tasks that require fine vision

·         Distorted vision (Straight lines such as a vertical walls or horizontal lines such as counter tops may appear wavy or bent.)  

Optometrists are usually one of the first providers to diagnose AMD.  Vision testing, and amsler grid, digital retinal photography, and a through slit lamp examination are some common of the most common tests performed during a retinal exam at Graf Optical.  The high resolution of the Zeiss retinal camera is ideal for detecting macular degeneration.

Treatment

There is no proven medical therapy for dry macular degeneration.  Nutrition and lifestyle changes remain one of the best ways to combat the risk of developing macular degeneration.

Nutrition and macular degeneration
There exists a strong link between nutrition and the development of macular degeneration.  People with diets high in fruits and vegetables (especially leafy green vegetables) have a lower incidence of macular degeneration.