Dry macular degeneration is one of the most common eye disorders, affecting most people over the age of 50 and making the direct line of sight more challenging. It isn’t considered total vision loss, as most sufferers retain their peripheral vision even if the direct line of sight is blurred. It affects the part of the eye known as the macula, which is the part of the retina that allows for clear vision with a direct line of sight. Anything that affects the cells within the macula can cause macular degeneration. The trouble with such a condition is that it’s not always easy to figure out specific causes. As such, we’re going to go over many different potential factors that could potentially cause macular degeneration.
The symptoms of macular degeneration include distorted vision in the direct line of sight, difficulty recognizing faces, a blind spot in the field of vision, and more. There is also another type known as wet macular degeneration, which is the more severe version of the dry variant. The wet variant does not occur on its own, and instead first appears as dry macular degeneration. It is typically due to a blood vessel leaking into the macula.
Hereditary/Genetic Component
One of the primary potential causes of macular degeneration lies in the hereditary component of the disorder. That said, it’s common enough that many people have macular degeneration, so you’re likely to be related to those with the eye condition. It’s not an easy pill to swallow, and the best one can do is to try to live as healthy a life as possible. While there is always the chance for macular degeneration to occur, trying to live healthier will decrease those odds while also allowing you to avoid various other health disorders. While there is no specific gene that is guaranteed to cause macular degeneration, many researchers have found several genes that could potentially be linked to the eye disorder.
Without a doubt, macular degeneration is one of the more challenging disorders to trace back, as it tends not to have a specific cause. The only thing that researchers can say for certain is there are patterns that make them more or less likely to appear. With further research, it’s possible to eventually provide a more definitive answer to the question of causes.
