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ARMD Affected
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ARMD is a medical condition which usually affects older adults that results in a loss of central vision because of damage to the retina. It is a major cause of visual impairment in older adults (>50 years). Macular degeneration can make it difficult and sometimes impossible to read or recognize faces, although enough peripheral vision remains to allow other activities of daily life.
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The inner layer of the eye is the retina (which contains nerves that communicate sight) and behind the retina is the choroid (which contains the blood supply to the macula). ARMD affects the macula which is located in the center of the retina, the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye.
Traditionally two types of macular degeneration have been recognized: Dry and Wet. In the dry (nonexudative) form, cellular debris called drusen accumulate between the retina and the choroid, and the retina can become detached. In the wet (exudative) form, which is more severe, blood vessels grow up from the choroid behind the retina, and the retina can also become detached. It can be treated with laser coagulation, and with medication that stops and sometimes reverses the growth of blood vessels.
