people with vision problems. Macular degeneration is one of the vision problems that affects predominantly older adults' ability to read and see detail. Injury to the macula can also cause similar vision impairments to macular degeneration, and some medical conditions such as diabetic retinopathy can be a factor in developing macular degeneration. What is macular degeneration, and what are the different forms that are prevalent today?

The macula is a part of the retina. If the macula deteriorates or becomes injured or punctured, macular degeneration results. The macula is the central part of the retina that controls detail vision. Detail vision is used for reading, driving, and many other daily tasks. Low vision in the macula results in an increased inability to read, sew or recognize fine details. For example, you might be able to see the outline of a person's body, but not the details of that person's face or clothing, because the macula allows you to see those details. Since macular degeneration often affects elderly adults, it is also known as age-related macular degeneration, or ARMD. Occasionally it is a medical issue that affects young adults or children, and in this instance it is usually called macular dystrophy.

There are different types of ARMD which can result in differing levels of low vision. The first symptom an ophthalmologist might notice are drusen in the macula. These are yellow deposits, which can vary in size from small to large, and that may be associated with high cholesterol. The appearance of drusen signify the beginning stages of ARMD, yet at this stage a person's vision is still quite good. However, the appearance of drusen is one of the factors that leave a person more at risk for developing a more advanced ARMD.

There is a wet form and a dry form of advanced ARMD. The wet form, known as exudative ARMD, is caused by excessive blood vessel growth beneath the retinal pigment epithelium. When the blood vessels grow too much, bleeding and leakage passes through the epithelium and through Bruch's membrane, resulting in damage to the rods and cones in the central part of the eye. This causes low vision.

The dry form of advanced ARMD is caused when the retinal pigment epithelium atrophies, resulting in damage to the rods and cones. This, too, causes vision problems in the central portion of the eye.

While there is no treatment solution for dry advanced ARMD, it can in some instances be slowed by taking certain vitamin supplements like antioxidants and lutein, which are commonly found in green leafy vegetables. There are some new drugs which can help increase and improve the vision of some individuals with the wet form of ARMD. There are also low vision devices, such as glasses specifically modified for patients with ARMD, which can also provide a valuable aid to vision improvement.