Macular Degeneration
Macular Degeneration, leading cause of irreversible vision loss in the United States. This incurable condition attacks the central portion of the retina, the part of the eye that receives light patterns and transmits them to the brain. Macular degeneration progressively damages or destroys the part of vision used for reading and seeing fine details, while leaving the peripheral vision generally unaffected. People who have this disorder develop an area of vision loss that increases in diameter until they are unable to read or even see groups of two to three words at normal reading distance. Macular degeneration usually develops in both eyes, with one eye generally more affected than the other. Although children can develop forms of macular degeneration such as Stargardt's disease, 99 percent of the cases occur in older people. Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) may affect as many as 15 million Americans over the age of 50, and one-fifth of people over 75 show at least som