The small, central part of our retina, called the macula, is where light focuses after passing through your camera, pupil and lens - and is what enables you to see color and fine detail when looking directly at something.   If the macula begins to deteriorate, the condition is called macular degeneration. Although there is no way to reverse damage caused by this disease, early detection may help prevent further vision loss.   Macular degeneration generally takes two forms: wet and dry. The dry form occurs when the tissue of macula thins over time. The wet version involves abnormal blood vessels growing under the retina, which may leak and cause scarring and loss of central vision. The dry form can convert to the wet form at any time, and the wet form usually only occurs in patients who already have the dry form.

In the dry form, patients may notice a gradual increase in grayness and haziness of vision, a blind spot in the center of the visual field, blurred words, and dimmed color vision. In the wet form, patients may notice visual distortions, such as straight lines appearing wavy, as well as a blind spot in the center of the visual field.   The cause of macular degeneration is unknown, but heredity and the aging process may be the main culprits. Long-term exposure to ultraviolet light, low blood levels of vitamins A, C and E, high blood cholesterol and cigarette smoking may be other contributing factors.   There is no medical or surgical treatment of the dry form of the disease, and laser surgery may be an option for patients wit the wet form. If you have macular degeneration, your doctor can help you adjust your lifestyle to help preserve quality of life.