Utah’s Weber, Davis Counties Have Fair Share of Macular Degeneration Sufferers

For this reason, Dr. Jared Cooper, an optometrist located in Salt Lake City, spends most of his time visiting these residents in their homes.

According to the article, Cooper remarked that AMD happens to be a “progressive sight limiting eye disease” that happens when the “delicate nerves” located towards the ear “of the inside of the eye” starts “to deteriorate.”

Cooper added in the article that it’s important to remember that the eye condition can have a marked impact on the patient’s life. For instance, they might not be able to recognize the face of family, friends or co-workers who are standing right in front of them. Since AMD sufferers still have their peripheral vision in tact, however, they might be able to “see small things” such as “a coin dropped on the floor.”

AMD, which impacts approximately 8 million Americans, can set in at around the half-century mark, said a section of the article citing Dr. Adam Bowman, an ophthalmologist working at the Mountain view Eye Center situated in Layton. He added that around one-tenth of patients have AMD by the time they hit the 75-year-old market, and about three-tenths have AMD by the time they hit the 85-year-old market.

According to the article, Cooper said that no symptoms precede early AMD. But as the eye ailment advances, warning signs can include cloudy vision, he added.

According to the article, AMD comes in two types, namely dry AMD and wet AMD. The later, which occurs when abnormal blood vessels leak blood and fluid to the detriment of the macula, is the more serious of the two.

The National Institute of Health notes that people who are overweight, have a family history of macular degeneration and smoke cigarettes are more likely than those who do none of the above to get AMD, according to the article.