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What Is Macular Degeneration?
Macular degeneration is a serious eye disease. Many people never hear of this disease until the moment they or someone they love are diagnosed with it, but macular degeneration is actually the leading cause of vision loss. More than 10 million Americans are affected by macular degeneration. This number is itself staggering, but becomes especially astonishing when it is noted that this is more than vision loss from cataracts and glaucoma combined.
But what is macular degeneration, exactly?
Essentially, macular degeneration occurs when the central portion of the retina, which is the thin layer of tissue located at the back of the eye, deteriorates. The retina is a key component of the vision process, as its job is to take in what we see and send that information from the eye to the brain via the optic nerve. The center portion of the retina is known as the macula, and its job is to focus the eye’s central vision. This means that the macula is in control of many of the eye’s most important abilities, such as being able to read, drive a car, recognize faces and colors, and see finer detail on objects.
Loss of central vision is not the same as total vision loss—people who have experienced central vision loss still retain their peripheral vision (sometimes called “indirect vision) so they can still see to the side of their central vision. However, those whose macular degeneration has become very advanced and have completely lost their central vision are considered legally blind.
Types of Macular Degeneration
There are two main types of macular degeneration disease, known as the “dry” and “wet” versions.
Most cases of macular degeneration are “dry,” meaning that no leakage of blood or serum is involved. Instead, yellow deposits called drusen form in the macula, and as they grow, they can distort vision. With these dry (also known as atrophic) cases, people sometimes have fairly good central vision, but loss of vision may still occur. Indeed, they may have difficulty reading, limited night vision, or fluctuating vision. The person’s center vision may be blurry, and straight lines may look wavy. Dry cases of the disease make up approximately 85 to 90 percent of total cases.
Wet cases of the disease, by contrast, may involving bleeding or fluid leakage. This causes the normally flat macula to bulge or lift, which distorts the central vision. With wet (also known as exudative) cases, a person’s vision loss is often much more rapid and severe. People with this version may experience dark spots in their central vision, and straight lines may appear wavy. Wet cases make up approximately 10 to 15 percent of total cases.
While most macular degeneration is age-related, there is a form of the disease found in young people called Stargardt disease, which is caused by a recessive gene. What is macular degeneration for young people? Essentially, Stargardt disease is a rare form of macular degeneration that affects children and teenagers, leading to kids first noticing difficulty reading or adapting to bright lighting.
How Does Macular Degeneration Start?
Macular degeneration is slow to develop at first, and it may not be immediately apparent to a person that they are experiencing anything unusual with their vision. Early diagnosis is key to dealing with the issue, which is why it is important to regularly get eye exams. Regular eye exams are even more important for those with a number of risk factors.
Macular Degeneration Stages
Loss of central vision caused by macular degeneration comes in stages. So what is macular degeneration, stage by stage?
With early age-related macular degeneration, people typically don’t experience vision loss in the initial stage. Early AMD can be caught through regular eye exams, and is diagnosed if medium-sized drusen (yellow deposits beneath the retina) are detected.
In the intermediate stage, patients may begin experiencing vision loss to some extent. For some, symptoms may not be noticeable, but for others, they may begin to notice blurriness or spots in their central vision, difficulty reading, and seeing in low lighting. Intermediate AMD can be diagnosed with a comprehensive eye exam looking for larger drusen deposits and/or retinal pigment changes.
In the late stage of macular degeneration, vision loss has become noticeable.
Causes of Macular Degeneration
While specific macular degeneration causes are not known conclusively, it is at least known that age-related macular degeneration is in part caused by both genetic and environmental factors.
Research on this disease has so far been relatively limited, in large part due to insufficient funding.
However, a few risk factors have been identified:
- Age: the risk of macular degeneration increases as a person gets older, and those 55 and older are most at risk
- Genetics: a family history of AMD are at a higher risk
- Race: Caucasians are at an increased risk of developing AMD compared to other races
- Smoking: smoking reportedly doubles the risk of AMD
What Is the Treatment for Macular Degeneration?
Unfortunately, macular degeneration is currently considered an incurable eye disease. However, there are still steps you can take to reduce your risk prior to developing the disease, and to slow the progression of the disease after diagnosis. For instance, a healthy diet, exercise, and protecting your eyes from ultraviolet light can all contribute to maintaining good eye health. Avoiding smoking can also eliminate one significant risk factor.
Macular Degeneration Litigation
On top of the risk factors already mentioned, a growing number of people are coming forward with claims that their use of the medication Elmiron led to their diagnosis with macular degeneration after long-term use.
Elmiron is generally used to treat bladder issues like interstitial cystitis and urinary tract infections. In the last couple of years, several studies have connected long-term Elmiron use with vision problems.
If you have suffered from vision problems like macular degeneration after taking Elmiron, especially long-term, you may be able to join a class action lawsuit investigation and pursue compensation. Filing a lawsuit can be daunting, so Top Class Actions has laid the groundwork for you by connecting you with an experienced attorney. An attorney can help you determine if you have a claim, navigate the complexities of litigation, and maximize your potential compensation.
