What disease affects the macula and causes gradual loss of central vision?

What disease affects the macula and causes gradual loss of central vision?

• A. Glaucoma
• B. Cataract
• C. Age-Related Macular Degeneration
• D. Retinitis Pigmentosa

Answer: (C)

The central idea is understanding how diseases of the macula affect central vision. The macula is the small central area of the retina responsible for sharp, detailed vision needed for reading and recognizing faces. When a disease targets the macula and progresses with age, central vision gradually deteriorates. Age-Related Macular Degeneration specifically harms the macula, leading to a gradual loss of clear central vision. It’s most common in older adults and can present as dry AMD (drusen buildup with slow degeneration) or wet AMD (abnormal blood vessels under the retina), but in either form the hallmark is a gradual decline in central vision. The other conditions involve different parts of the eye: glaucoma affects the optic nerve and often starts with peripheral vision loss; cataracts cloud the lens and blur overall vision; Retinitis Pigmentosa is a retinal dystrophy that typically causes night blindness and a narrowing field of view. So the disease described is Age-Related Macular Degeneration.

The central idea is understanding how diseases of the macula affect central vision. The macula is the small central area of the retina responsible for sharp, detailed vision needed for reading and recognizing faces. When a disease targets the macula and progresses with age, central vision gradually deteriorates. Age-Related Macular Degeneration specifically harms the macula, leading to a gradual loss of clear central vision. It’s most common in older adults and can present as dry AMD (drusen buildup with slow degeneration) or wet AMD (abnormal blood vessels under the retina), but in either form the hallmark is a gradual decline in central vision. The other conditions involve different parts of the eye: glaucoma affects the optic nerve and often starts with peripheral vision loss; cataracts cloud the lens and blur overall vision; Retinitis Pigmentosa is a retinal dystrophy that typically causes night blindness and a narrowing field of view. So the disease described is Age-Related Macular Degeneration.