Macular Degeneration

One of the most frequently asked questions I hear in clinic is that of macular degeneration. Macular Degeneration is the leading cause of vision loss surpassing that of glaucoma and cataracts in the U.S. The retina is like the film of a camera, which captures all the incoming light.

The central part of the retina is called the macula. The macula is responsible for central vision, color, and fine detail. With age the macula can deteriorate leading to many negative ocular complications such as reduced central vision, wavy or distorted vision, development of a blind spot in the central portion of the field of view. This is mostly found in the aging population beginning around the age of 50.

There are different forms of macular degeneration that are found in younger populations. There are two forms of macular degeneration, dry and wet. Here at OJO Eye Care we don’t look at the eyes as an individual organ of the body, we look at the big picture and consider the entire body. Certain risk factors include: Age, genetics, race (Caucasians), smoking, obesity, hypertension, high Cholesterol, and poor diet. At every eye exam we review all these systems and which medications you are taking.

We have advanced technology which will scan the macula and gives us analytical data which we then use to treat and monitor macular degeneration. I believe in early detection which ultimately leads to early intervention and better visual outcome.