![]() Finding help for vision impairment, low vision and blindness.Under the lens: Link between macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy. We link primary sources - including studies, scientific references, and statistics - within each article and also list them in the resources section at the bottom of our articles. Medical News Today has strict sourcing guidelines and draws only from peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. The symptoms typically start between the ages of 10 and 40 years and gradually worsen over time.Īccording to the NEI, the most common early symptom of RP is night blindness. The National Organization for Rare Disorders states that RP is a rare genetic disorder that affects somewhere between 82,500 and 110,000 people in the U.S. ![]() RP is an umbrella term for rare eye disorders that cause the breakdown and loss of cells in the retina. Learn more about age-related macular degeneration. However, it is possible for people to develop both dry and wet MD. ![]() Wet MD occurs when abnormal blood vessels grow underneath the macula and leak blood and fluid that results in scarring and vision loss.Īccording to the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), about 80% of people who have MD have the dry form. Dry MD occurs when the macula becomes thinner with age. It is also the leading cause of vision loss in older adults, primarily affecting people aged 55 years and older. MD does not affect a person’s peripheral vision, which is what a person sees on the periphery of their central vision, outside the point of fixation.Īccording to the National Eye Institute (NEI), MD affects 11 million people in the United States. doing close up work, such as threading a needle.Central vision is helpful for the following: The condition causes changes to a person’s central vision, which is what a person sees while looking straight ahead. MD is an eye disease that involves damage to the macula, which is the light-sensitive tissue that forms part of the retina. A retinal detachment is a very serious problem that almost always causes blindness unless it is treated.Share on Pinterest Anton Alekperov/EyeEm/Getty Imagesīelow, we look at MD and RP in more detail. The retina does not work when it is detached and vision becomes blurry. When the retina is pulled away from the back of the eye like this, it is called a retinal detachment. Fluid may pass through a retinal tear, lifting the retina off the back of the eye - much as wallpaper can peel off a wall. But sometimes the vitreous pulls hard enough to tear the retina in one or more places. Usually, the vitreous moves away from the retina without causing problems. When this happens, you may notice what look like flashing lights, lightning streaks or the sensation of seeing “stars.” These are called flashes. As we get older, the vitreous may shrink and pull on the retina. The middle of the eye is filled with a clear gel called vitreous (vi-tree-us) that is attached to the retina. A healthy, intact retina is key to clear vision. The retina converts the light rays into impulses that travel through the optic nerve to our brain, where they are interpreted as the images we see. Light rays are focused onto the retina through our cornea, pupil and lens. The retina is the light-sensitive tissue lining the back of our eye.
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