Dame Judi Dench, the renowned English actor with a career spanning more than 60 years, recently told Deadline her eye condition, macular degeneration, has made it challenging to read scripts, and hinted her career might be at an end.
Dench’s experience sheds light on a condition that is the leading cause of vision loss in individuals ages 50 and older, Johns Hopkins Medicine reported.
Macular degeneration is a progressive eye disease that affects the macula, the central part of the retina responsible for sharp, detailed vision, according to Johns Hopkins. As the condition progresses, it can cause a gradual loss of central vision, making everyday activities like reading, driving and recognizing faces challenging.
There are two main types of macular degeneration: dry and wet, the hospital and research facility reported. Dry macular degeneration, the more common form, occurs when the macula thins over time, leading to a gradual loss of vision. Wet macular degeneration, although less common, is characterized by the growth of abnormal blood vessels beneath the retina, which can leak fluid and cause rapid vision loss.
“First of all, wet AMD is age related. And so it’s really not diagnosed in anybody under the age of 60. So it is a disease that disproportionately affects elderly people,” Dr. Jay Duker explained in an interview with Ophthalmology Times. “And in fact, if you make it to age 80, you have about a one out of three chance of having some degree of macular degeneration.”
According to Johns Hopkins, risk factors for macular degeneration include being over the age of 50, smoking, high blood pressure and an unhealthy diet. Symptoms to watch for include difficulty reading fine print, distortion of vision (where straight lines appear crooked), blind spots, and blurry or fuzzy vision.
While there is no cure for macular degeneration, early detection and treatment can help slow its progression and preserve vision, Johns Hopkins reported. Specific treatment should be determined by your doctor.
About the Author
