What Causes Macular Degeneration?
What Are The Causes of Macular Degeneration?
Macular Degeneration is primarily an age related disease, which affects a person's ability to see. It causes a unique blindness where the central part of the scope of vision is impaired leaving the exterior or peripheral vision intact. The primary cause of age related Macular degeneration is a blockage between the macula and the retina of the eye. It is important also to distinguish between dry macular degeneration and the wet form.
There are two things, which can cause a block to occur in this area. The first is the buildup of yellow deposits. These yellow deposits could be many small deposits or they may be larger deposits. There are a number of theories, which have been linked to the cause of the buildup of these deposits.
The second cause of vision loss is the growth of blood vessels in between the macula and the retina of the eye, which blocks part of the visual field. There are a number of risk factors that can be underlying causes of the growth of these blockages. One of the largest factors is age. As the body ages a buildup of these yellow deposits, which some believe might be caused by cholesterol becomes more likely.
Just as it builds up elsewhere in the body, it can buildup between the macula and the retina. The other type of age related macular degeneration involves the growth of blood vessels. These have been likened to their similarities to blood clots. Family history can be a factor with age related macular degeneration. Another cause is actually attributed to a gene, which is called the Macular degeneration gene. It affects the ability of the body to produce the correct factors in a complement system of proteins.
Another cause is Stargardt's Disease also known as Juvenile Macular Degeneration; this too has been linked to a genetic mutation in what are normally called transporters. This gene deals specifically with the eye and a mutation of this can cause macular degeneration to occur. Other causes or risk factors include things such as hypertension, high fat intake, high cholesterol and obesity since these tend to increase the chances of deposits forming and thereby increase the chances of the disease occurring.
This is especially true in individuals who may have a family history of macular degeneration or be a contributing factor when in combination with genetic mutations. These few causes however are preventable since they deal with factors that can be controlled through lifestyle changes.
The causes of Macular degeneration are numerous. It can be caused by diet or health concerns, genetic mutations, as well as age. While it can affect individuals, who do not have a family history of this type of visual impairment it is more likely to appear in families that have a history of this type of visual impairment. This means it is important to check your family history to make sure that you are not at risk or to educate yourself so you can be aware of the causes and the symptoms that you could experience with Macular degeneration.
What Is Macular Degeneration? | Causes of Macular Degeneration | What is Dry Macular Degeneration | Age Related Macular Degeneration Treatments | Signs and Symptoms of Macular Degeneration | Signs of AMD | Macular Degeneration Vitamins | Macular Degeneration Home Remedies | Macular Degeneration Supplements
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