Macular degeneration is one of the leading causes of decreased vision in the United States.
It is a slowly progressive disease with a highly variable and unpredictable course. People with AMD do not go completely blind but get blurred central vision. When the disease is advanced, a person may not be able to read, see faces, drive or see the TV well, but they can live independently and do most daily tasks. Macular degeneration is a disease of the retina. The retina is a layer of nerve tissue that lines the back of the eye upon which light is focused.