Macular degeneration is a serious eye condition that it's important to have diagnosed quickly so that it can be treated. There are a lot of serious effects that macular degeneration can have on your eyesight and your life. When you need to get your eye exam, you need to get the eye care that can help. A vision exam and eye care can be important to your health. Whether you need ortho-k or other treatments or vision correction, call our Bakersfield, CA, office for your appointment. Macular degeneration is one of the things that an eye exam screens for. We at SOUTHWEST EYE CARE are here to help.
What Is Macular Degeneration?
Macular degeneration is an eye disease that can rob you of much of your vision. Some patients lose enough vision that it threatens their independence. Macular degeneration can be linked to advanced age. To have the best results from treatment, it can be important to have this disease diagnosed early. Once it starts, a patient can have problems with their central vision. It can cause major vision loss in that area. This condition most often occurs in people who are older, but it's possible to develop it before that age. It often starts very slowly and progresses until there is a lot of loss of vision. It generally won't lead to blindness, but it can seriously affect vision. This disease happens when there is a breakdown of the macula, the central area of the retina.
Risk Factors
There are a lot of risk factors that can make it more likely that a patient will develop this eye disease. If you have a family history of this disease, you might also have a higher change of getting it. There is a greater chance of it in people who are older, and those who are obese are also more likely. If you smoke, have high cholesterol, or high blood pressure, these can also factor into your risk of macular degeneration.
Symptoms
In the earliest stages, they may be no symptoms. As it progresses, the center area of the visual field can become blurred or darker. People who have it might need progressively stronger lights to be able to see. It can cause you to not recognize the faces you see and can make colors look different than they used to.
Get Your Eye Care from an Eye Doctor on Our Optometry Team
Keep up with your eye exam schedule to check for eye diseases, especially if you are at an increased risk. A vision exam from an eye doctor might also be important. When you need optometry treatments such as ortho-K in Bakersfield, CA, give us a call at our optometry center. Call us at (661) 833-4040 for SOUTHWEST EYE CARE.