That's why regular trips to your ophthalmologist are crucial, especially if someone in your immediate family has the disease, or if you have diabetes or are over age 60. It can also develop at a much earlier age, so have your eyes tested every one to two years starting around age 40. If glaucoma is caught in time, eye drops, medication, or surgery can almost always spare your vision. This disease of the retina is the leading cause of blindness in people over 65. It results when the macula, the part of the retina responsible for sharp vision, begins to deteriorate.
Macular degeneration comes in two forms, dry and wet.
The dry form, in which the retina has simply worn thin with age, is untreatable, but it is usually slow to progress and rarely causes severe vision loss. Some research suggests that vitamins and minerals may slow its development. The wet form of the disease occurs when abnormal blood vessels form beneath the retina. It poses a much more serious threat to your eyesight, but laser surgery can help some patients avoid further vision loss. To get the earliest possible treatment, see an ophthalmologist promptly if your vision becomes fuzzy or blurry, if straight lines look wavy, or if blank or dark spots show up in the center of your vision.