Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is
the leading cause of blindness in people
over 50 years of age. It is caused by the
breakdown of the central portion of the
retina (the highly sensitive part of your
eye that works like the
film in a camera to
pick up the picture) called the
macula. The
macula is responsible for the fine central
vision in the eye that is needed for driving
a car, reading fine print, recognizing
faces, etc. There are two types of macular
degeneration: dry and wet. In the
“wet” form
of AMD, abnormal blood vessels grow in the
back of the eye. Sometimes these vessels
leak blood or fluid that causes blurred or
distorted vision. Without treatment, vision
loss may be quick and severe.
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