What is macular degeneration?

About 3% of people over 65 develop macular degeneration. What is this serious eye condition and what can you do about it?

In macular degeneration, visual acuity decreases because the cones in the macula of the retina die. The patients do not become completely blind because they can still see with the peripheral visual field, but this does not allow sharp vision.

The hereditary form occurs in childhood and is rare. Age-related macular degeneration occurs from the age of 50. There is a dry and a wet form.

The dry form causes problems seeing contrast and colors. Severe visual impairment only occurs after 10 to 15 years. With the wet form, the patient sees distortions such as text that appears to be wavy and straight lines that appear curved. The wet form leads to visual impairment in a few weeks and up to 2 years.

Atherosclerosis, smoking and older age are the most important risk factors. The treatment falls entirely within the domain of ophthalmologists and can slow down the deterioration of vision.

Author: Prof. Dr. Dirk Devroey - Latest update: 2024-12-28 - Copyright: Clinifacts 2025