Types of Macular Degeneration
There are two
types of macular degeneration. About 90 percent of people with macular degeneration have what's known as the "dry" type, and the remaining 10 percent have the "wet" type. However,
wet macular degeneration accounts for 90 percent of all blindness from the disease.
In wet macular degeneration, new blood vessels grow. Because these new blood vessels tend to be very fragile, they will often leak blood and fluid under the macula. This causes rapid damage to the macula, which can lead to the loss of central vision in a short period of time.
In
dry macular degeneration, the light-sensitive vision cells deteriorate, but there is no bleeding. Scientists are still not sure what causes dry macular degeneration. Studies suggest that an area of the retina becomes diseased, leading to the slow breakdown of the light-sensing cells in the macula and a gradual loss of central vision.
Macular Degeneration: Causes and Risk Factors
No one knows exactly what causes macular degeneration. Doctors can seldom explain why one person gets macular degeneration and another does not. However, research has shown that people with certain risk factors are more likely than others to develop macular degeneration. A risk factor is anything that increases a person's chance of developing a disease.
Specific risk factors of macular degeneration include:
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