Macular Degeneration is when you lose your central vision. You cannot see fine details, whether you are looking at something close or far. But your peripheral (side) vision will still be normal. For instance, imagine you are looking at a clock with hands. With AMD, you might see the clock’s numbers but not the hands.

AMD (Age Related Macular Degeneration) is very common. It is a leading cause of vision loss in people 50 years or older.

There are Two Types of AMD

Dry AMD

This form is quite common.

  • About 80% (8 out of 10) of people who have AMD have the dry form
  • Dry AMD is when parts of the macula get thinner with age and tiny clumps of protein called drusen grow.
  • You slowly lose central vision.
  • There is no way to treat dry AMD yet.

Wet AMD

This form is less common but much more serious.

  • Wet AMD is when new, abnormal blood vessels grow under the retina.
  • These vessels may leak blood or other fluids, causing scarring of the macula.
  • You lose vision faster with wet AMD than with dry AMD.

Many people don’t realize they have AMD until their vision is very blurry. This is why it is important to have regular visits to an ophthalmologist. He or she can look for early signs of AMD before you have any vision problems and refer you to a low vision specialist like Dr. Huggett.

Hemianopsia

Hemianopsia is a debilitating visual condition that affects roughly 1 in 3 stroke patients. It can also be triggered by a brain injury or brain tumor. To the patient, it’s as if one side of their visual field simply disappears. To a layperson, this is hard to imagine, and even harder to explain. Patients with Hemianopsia have two major complaints related to this devastating condition: it’s hard to read, and it’s hard to get around without bumping into things (mobility).

Hemianopsia is also associated or maybe called: CVA, stroke, hemianopsia, hemianopia, quadranopsia, quadranopia, prism, peli lens, Gottlieb lens, visual field awareness system, Inwave, sector prism, nova vision, vision rehabilitation.

Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a group of eye conditions that damage the optic nerve, the health of which is vital for good vision. This damage is often caused by an abnormally high pressure in your eye.

Diabetic Retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy is a diabetes complication that affects eyes. It’s caused by damage to the blood vessels of the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye (retina). At first, diabetic retinopathy might cause no symptoms or only mild vision problems, but it can lead to blindness. The condition can develop in anyone who has type 1 or type 2 diabetes. The longer you have diabetes and the less controlled your blood sugar is, the more likely you are to develop this eye complication.