The Hartford Insurance San Francisco-based health writer Michael Castleman is the author of 10 consumer health books that have sold a combined total of more than 2 million copies. No, you don't need new glasses, but you better call your doctor right away. These symptoms are serious.
Macular degeneration is the nation's leading cause of serious vision impairment.
In the center of each retina is a tiny, super-sensitive area, the macula, which allows you to see color and fine detail. If macular degeneration gets serious, you wind up looking at the world out of the corners of your eyes, and miss a good deal of detail and color. Dry macular degeneration can seriously impair vision, but it's the less severe form, and often progresses slowly and painlessly. The less common wet form is more serious. It results when abnormal blood vessels grow under your retina and displace your macula the same way tree roots buckle a sidewalk.