Eye Diseases and Conditions Slideshow Pictures Pink Eye Slideshow Pictures Cataracts Slideshow Pictures

Medical Author:

John D. Sheppard, MD, MMSc

Medical Editor:

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.

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Outlook

• Not all people with age-related macular degeneration experience significant vision loss in both eyes. Only 59% of those who lose vision in one eye lose vision in the other eye as well.



• People rarely lose all of their vision from macular degeneration. They may have poor central vision, but they are still able to perform many normal daily activities. It is important for patients to know that they will never be totally blind due to preservation of their peripheral vision. Thus, legal blindness from bilateral end-stage macular degeneration by no means implies that a patient sees nothing at all.



• The wet form of age-related macular degeneration is a leading cause of irreversible legal blindness. When both eyes are affected, patients obviously lose significant quality of life.



• The dry form of age-related macular degeneration is much more common and tends to progress more slowly, allowing you to keep most of your vision.