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Even though the macula makes up only a small part of the retina, it is much more sensitive to detail than the rest of the retina, called the peripheral retina. The macula is what allows you to thread a needle, read small print, and read street signs. The peripheral retina gives you side (or peripheral) vision.

If someone is standing off to one side of your vision, your peripheral retina helps you know that person is there by allowing you to see their general shape. It is your macula that allows you to recognize the details of the person’s face.

Many older people develop macular degeneration as part of the body’s natural aging process. There are different kinds of macular problems, but the most common is age-related macular degeneration.

The retina is made up of many layers that work together to help you see clearly. AMD develops when a layer under the retina called the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) is affected by deposits of tiny yellow or white pieces of fatty protein called drusen, or by other age-related changes.

With AMD, you may have blurriness, dark areas or distortion in your central vision, and perhaps permanent loss of your central vision. It usually does not affect your side, or peripheral vision. For example, with advanced AMD, you could see the outline of a clock, yet may not be able to see the hands of the clock to tell what time it is.

AMD alone almost never causes total blindness. People with more advanced cases of AMD continue to have useful vision using their side, or peripheral vision. In many cases, macular degeneration’s impact on your vision can be minimal.

When AMD does lead to loss of vision, it usually begins in just one eye, though it may affect the other eye later.

Many people are not aware that they have macular degeneration until they have a noticeable vision problem or until it is detected during an eye examination.

There are two types of AMD:

Dry, or atrophic, AMD (also called non-neovascular AMD). Most people who have AMD have the dry form. This condition is caused by aging and thinning of the tissues of the macula. Macular degeneration usually begins when tiny yellow or white pieces of fatty protein form under the retina. These deposits are called drusen. Eventually, the macula may become thinner and stop working properly. With dry AMD, vision loss is usually gradual.

Wet, or exudative, AMD (also called neovascular AMD). The wet form of macular degeneration occurs in about 10 percent of all macular degeneration cases, but it can cause more damage to your central or detail vision than the dry form.

Capillaries, or tiny blood vessels, extend into all tissues of the body, bringing in nutrients and carrying off waste products. Capillaries usually don’t increase in size or number, but if they do, it is called abnormal blood vessel growth.

Wet AMD occurs when abnormal blood vessels begin to grow underneath the retina. This blood vessel growth is called choroidal neovascularization (CNV) because these vessels grow from the layer under the retina called the choroid. These new blood vessels may leak fluid or blood, blurring or distorting central vision. Vision loss from this form of AMD may be faster and more noticeable than that from dry AMD.

The longer these abnormal vessels leak or grow, the more risk you have of losing more of your detailed vision. Also, if abnormal blood vessel growth happens in one eye, there is a risk that it will occur in the other eye. The earlier that wet AMD is diagnosed, the better chance you have of preserving some or much of your central vision. That is why it is so important that you and your ophthalmologist monitor your vision in each eye carefully.