Hey, there! I think I have found a good article on macular degeneration, our favorite but somewhat distasteful topic. The article is in Webvision and is entitled Age-Related Macular Degeneration. Another catchy title. The main author is Hageman.
Did you know the name up until around 1990 was ‘senile macular degeneration’? Makes it sound like our eyes have lost some of their mental faculties. Glad that was changed!
Also discovered the fovea is the center of the macula. It contains the highest concentration of cone photoreceptors and is the only region of the retina that can attain 20/20 vision.
I think when my optometrist said I had such an abrupt vision loss because the deterioration had reached the center of my macula she was talking about the loss of my fovea. That means 20/20 vision is no longer possible for me. Even if I use prisms or eventually get that eye max mono thingee, things will not be ‘perfect’. [Lin/Linda: she means the EyeMax Mono lens implant.]
This article says macular vision is 10% of vision! Estimates of degrees of arc of potential loss seem to be getting better, but don’t get too excited. Remember we are talking my interpretation of things I read. It is guess-work. I know nothing.
Although I used to think hard drusen sound more ominous than soft ones, it is actually the other way around. Hard drusen are smaller and soft ones are larger. If they are looking in your eyes and mention soft drusen, you have more of a problem than if they see hard drusen.
I thought that all dry AMD would progress to GA (geographic atrophy) if the person lived that long. This article says only 10 to 15% of dry AMD patients progress rapidly enough to ‘achieve’ GA. Interesting.
That means my visual state is something many of you will not have to experience. That is a good thing! And FYI? I am functional so you can remain functional as well.
For you ‘wet’ folks, the article once again cautions you to stay on top of things and get your shots. Left to its own devices wet AMD progresses to a cicatrical stage. Cicatrix is a fancy word related to scars and scarring. Disciform scars occur when fibrous tissues develop in Bruch’s membrane between the RPEs and the retina. Scarring is, needless to say, not good and can result in severe vision loss. Bottom line for this paragraph is: do not allow bleeds to happen to you!
Closing in on my 500 words and I still have pages to read in this article. I think I will close this page, read some more and start another.
And FYI, I emailed by doctor. And – while he also believes the increased density/opacity of my blind spot is related to expected disease progression – I am going in for a vision screen in two days. Perceivable changes in your vision? I expect you to call, too. Check it out.
written April 25th, 2017