Dry Macular Degeneration or Wet Macular Degeneration?

Jan.13, 2010 in Lifestyle, Main

Dry Macular Degeneration or Wet Macular Degeneration?

What is the difference?

Learn how to stop macular degeneration.

Macular degeneration is a disease that afflicts millions of Americans. Macular Degeneration comes in a number of forms. The genetic forms are the worst forms because the onset of the disease begins in youth or in the first couple of decades of life. Fortunately the genetic forms of macular degeneration are quite rare. This article is confined to the more common types of macular degeneration. There are basically two types of macular degeneration that Americans over the age of 50 need concern themselves with at this time. One type is called wet macular degeneration. The second type is called age related macular degeneration or simply AMD. Of these two types of macular degeneration, the age related form is far more common.

Wet macular degeneration is so named because the macula of the retina is covered by new blood vessels that form in an area where blood vessels normally do not exist. Since these blood vessels can hemorrhage locally, this type of macular degeneration is called “wet”. Wet macular degeneration is worse than dry macular degeneration or age related macular degeneration since it is usually more rapidly progressive. The new blood vessels form via a phenomenon called vascular neogenesis or neovascularization. These new blood vessels form under the retina and the macula resulting in a bulging up of the respective areas. This bulging of the retina and macula causes a severe and rapidly progressive loss of vision.

With the wet type of macular degeneration a patient might see dark spots in their vision because of the blood that overlies the macula and the retina. Some patients may notice that straight lines look wavy. However, some patients do not notice any change at all which makes periodic eye examinations very important.

AMD or age related macular degeneration is also sometimes called dry macular degeneration because blood vessels and bleeding are not involved. AMD involves the formation of something called drusen on the surface of the retina. When these drusen begin to cover the macula, a patient will start to lose central vision. The macula is the region of the eye responsible for clear and sharp vision like that required for driving a car or reading. This type of macular degeneration is by far the most common cause of legal blindness in the United States as well as the world at large. The most common treatment is a macular degeneration vitamin supplement. Currently 1.75 million Americans are afflicted with AMD and estimates suggest more than 3 million people will suffer with AMD by the year 2020.

It is believed that drusen form from the deterioration of normal tissue. A more gradual loss of vision occurs with this type of macular degeneration; however, over time it can result in the severe loss of vision. Any type of macular degeneration results in the degradation of the retina and more importantly the macula over a period of months to years.