February is the month of Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) and Low Vision Awareness.

According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, AMD is a leading cause of vision loss in people 50 years or older, and more than 2.9 million Americans age 40 and older have low vision.

Low vision is defined as a visual impairment that is not correctable through surgery, medicine, eye glasses or contact lenses.AMD affects central vision, where sharpest vision occurs, causing difficulty conducting daily tasks such as driving, or reading. The most common form of AMD is “dry” AMD, caused by the appearance of small yellow deposits called drusen, which form under the retina. Dry AMD usually progresses slowly. “Wet” AMD generally causes more rapid and more serious vision loss. In this form of the disease, tiny new blood vessels grow under and into the retina. These blood vessels are fragile and often break and leak, causing a loss of vision.Geographic Atrophy (GA) is the advanced form of dry AMD. Geographic atrophy results in areas of damaged tissue causing central blind spots.