Macular Degeneration and Vision Loss

Q:  My father was recently diagnosed with macular degeneration. He was feeling great and living an active life when this happened. After only a short period of time, he's lost the ability to drive and has to magnify everything to be able to read. What happened to him? Could this have been prevented? Is there any effective treatment?

A:  Good vision is something we all take too much for granted. The loss of our ability to see can be a crippling and life-changing event. Sadly, your dad's experience is all too common.

Age-related macular degeneration is the chief cause of severe and irreversible loss of vision in developed countries, according to an article in Feb 17, 2000 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine.

The retina is the light-sensitive portion of the eye. Special cells called rods and cones coat the inside of the globe. The macula is the part of the retina located in the back of the eye. It has the largest concentration of these light-sensitive cells and is responsible for the central portion of our vision.

One way of simulating advanced macular degeneration would be to hold your fist an inch or so away from your open eye and note that all you can see is a "rim" of light. As a result, people with advanced macular degeneration are effectively blind.

The causes are unclear but may include family history, smoking, low intake of antioxidant vitamins and zinc. Excessive exposure to sunlight may also play a role. Once diagnosed, the focus of treatment is to limit the progression of the disease. At this time, it is not possible to reverse the process. Keep in mind that for many, the loss of vision is often accompanied by depression that may require treatment from your family doctor or a mental health professional.

The most common treatment is laser surgery to prevent the spread of abnormal blood vessels that undermine the retina. There are a variety of experimental treatments under investigation at this time.

Your dad's best bet is to receive care from a retinal specialist, often at a medical school such as the Medical College of Wisconsin's Eye Institute, where such studies are currently under way.

"Your Health" provides easy-to-understand information about common health conditions.