Macula, the small area at the centre of the retina deteriorates with age to cause Macular Degeneration, also known as ARMD (Age-Related Macular Degeneration). The macula helps you to focus and gather a sharp and detailed possible vision at the centre of the retina. Macular degeneration is a pain-free disease develops gradually with the age. At its early stage you might not even be feel or detect it.

If the macula in your is deteriorated, you might not be able to read this page properly because of the most common symptoms like, blurry areas; a wavy appearance of straight lines; and dark or empty spaces, also called central blind spot, blocking the centre area of vision. It depends on how much deterioration has happened. The deterioration starts at the centre and spreads outwards. Macular degeneration is probably the most common eye/vision related disease among people over 55 years of age.

Not only the age that determines the cause of macular degeneration, but it could also been an inherited one. Researches don't favour people, who smoke cigarettes, with heart problems and who are exposed to sunlight excessively.

You should be aware of the two types of macular degeneration, the dry or atrophic and the wet or hemorrhagic. Dry macular degeneration, a less severe type, is caused by the deterioration of the macular tissue causing it to thin and become dry.

Wet macular degeneration is caused by the development of new blood vessels under the retina causing bleeding (haemorrhage) and scar tissue. Laser could be used to treat if your eye's situation becomes eligible.

Laser surgery may be used to treat some cases of wet macular degeneration where the leakage of blood vessels could be sealed off. There are certain preventive actions that you can adopt to help either delay the deterioration or prevent the macula from deteriorating. The preventive actions include the intake of nutrient rich antioxidants through the regular food or food supplements. Another useful and very effective treatment is an exercise-based treatment, eccentric-viewing that helps you to use the peripheral vision to see objects by moving the blind spot out of the centre of your vision.