ARMD Full Form | What is the Full Form of ARMD
ARMD Full Form - Age Related Macular Degeneration
Age Related Macular Degeneration
- ARMD stands for Age Related macular degeneration.
- It's a standard eye condition among people over the age of 60, more likely to develop as an individual ages.
- It affects the central a part of the retina, called macula. It gradually deteriorates macula which ends up in blurred or reduced central vision.
- The macula is responsible for clear vision in your direct line of sight (central vision). So, it causes changes in your sight and makes everyday tasks difficult.
Types of AMD
- AMD is of two types: Dry AMD and Wet AMD
Types of AMD
Dry AMD
- It's the most common kind of AMD, characterized by the occurrence of yellow deposits (drusen) within the macula.
- It progresses slowly, so causes a gradual change in your central vision. Within the advanced stages, it's going to cause a blank patch or blind spot within the centre of a person's vision.
Wet AMD
- It's a less common form of macular generation which progresses quickly and causes severe changes in a person's central vision in a short period of your time, over few days or weeks.
- It causes the expansion of new abnormal blood vessels from choroid, a layer underneath the macula. This alteration is known as choroidal neovascularization.
- These vessels may leak blood and fluid under the macula which ends up in scarring of the macula and thus causes distortion of central vision and should cause permanent loss of central vision.
Risk Factors
- Cardiovascular disease
- Hypertension
- Deficiency of omega-3 fatty acids
- Aging
- Genetic
- Smoking
- Low intake of green leafy vegetables
Symptoms
- Difficulty in recognizing faces
- Sentences on a page appear wavy or distorted
- Blurred vision
- Visuals distortions
- Reduced central vision
- Blurry areas on a printed page
- Decreased intensity or brightness of colors
Its diagnosis involves
- Amsler grid
- Funduscopic examination
- Visual acuity test
- Dilated eye exam
- Optical coherence tomography
- Fluorescein angiography
- Color fundus photography