Macular Degeneration Symptoms

Macular degeneration is an eye disease that affects vision. It occurs when the part of the eye called the macula, which is the central area of the retina, deteriorates. The macula is the area of the retina that allows the eye to see details, so when it deteriorates, vision becomes blurred, and the ability to see printed words becomes more difficult. There are two forms of the disease: dry macular degeneration and wet macular degeneration. The Mayo Clinic reports that dry macular degeneration is the most common form of the disease and is caused by aging and the thinning or deterioration of tissue. Wet macular degeneration occurs when new blood vessels leak fluid beneath the macula.

Dry Macular Degeneration

The symptoms of dry macular degeneration can develop gradually and without pain. These symptoms include an increased blurriness of printed words, a decrease in the brightness or intensity of colors, difficulty in recognizing faces, increased haziness of vision, difficulty with adapting to conditions with low lighting such as when entering a room, a decrease in the sharpness of detail in the central area in the field of vision and a blurred spot or blind spot in the central area.

Wet Macular Degeneration

The symptoms of wet macular degeneration can appear abruptly and can progress rapidly. These symptoms include a decrease in the brightness or intensity of colors, a decrease in central vision, a blurry or blind spot that is well defined and visual distortions. These distortions can be straight lines that appear wavy or objects that appear farther away or smaller than they are.

Hallucinations

Both wet and dry macular degeneration can result in hallucinations. As the macula deteriorates, faulty signals can be sent from the retina to the brain, resulting in seeing things that don't actually exist. These hallucinations can be geometric figures, faces, animals or unusual patterns.