RETINA CARE CONSULTANTS. P.A. Retina Surgery Tips | Page 7

DRY MACULAR DEGENERATION: WHAT
IT IS AND WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
• What is Dry Macular Degeneration?
• According to the Mayo Clinic, dry macular degeneration is a common
eye condition, typically experienced by people 65 and older.
Although the condition can begin in one eye and eventually affect
the other causing blurred vision, blindness is not always a side effect.
• The American Macular Degeneration Foundation classifies macular
degeneration into two types - dry and wet. Dry macular degeneration
is more common than wet, consisting of about 85-90 percent of all
macular degeneration cases. People with this type of condition
experience limited or blurred central and night vision, as well as
trouble reading and seeing in poorly illuminated conditions.
• What Causes Dry Macular Degeneration?
• Dry macular degeneration is caused by the formation of drusen, which
are small yellow deposits, under the macula. The macula is an oval
shaped, pigmented area near the center of the retina, necessary for
providing clear vision. Drusen, though typically not harmful, can
increase macular degeneration by thinning and drying out the
macula, causing it to slowly lose its functionality.