Does Macular Degeneration Run in Families?

Retinal diseases can affect crucial components of your vision, and if they progress far enough they can impair your eyesight or lead to blindness. Conditions that affect the retina alter your ability to convert light into signals that go to your brain. The center of your retina is called the macula, and damage to it (macular degeneration) also worsens your center of vision, making details harder to make out. 

Residents of Muncie, Indiana, looking for ways to manage problems with macular degeneration or other retinal problems can turn to Dr. Jeffrey Rapkin and his experienced staff at Retina Consultants of Muncie.

To learn whether macular degeneration is hereditary, Dr. Rapkins shares some general facts about this retinal problem, and its causes and risk factors. 

Facts about macular degeneration

This condition affects your central vision making things directly in front of you more difficult to make out. Nearly 90 million Americans struggle with it, many of them over age 50. Macular degeneration comes in two forms:

• Dry: the most common type (the majority of people with the condition have the dry form) develops from dry protein deposits (drusen) that build up and limit vision
• Wet: this form is the result of abnormal blood vessels that leak and pool up, leading to dark spots and rapid vision loss

Early and intermediate stages of the eye problem are more prevalent in the dry version and cause blurriness or waviness in your central vision. The wet version is already in the advanced state, which is why the progression to central vision loss is so swift. As it advances, you can expect an increase in blurred and wavy vision, problems with seeing colors, and blank spots in your line of sight.

Causes and risk factors

The precise causes of this illness are not entirely understood, but the aforementioned drusen in the dry version is composed of lipids and proteins that come in different sizes and tend to accumulate as you get older. While it’s more common in people 50 and above, these factors put you at higher risk no matter your age:

• Diet high in saturated fat 
• Obesity
• Smoking
• Hypertension
• High cholesterol
• Overexposure to ultraviolets rays  

Heart disease is also linked to macular degeneration.

Hereditary components

Research from the BrightFocus Foundation indicates that heredity (the genes passed down from your parents) does indeed play a role in its development. There are over 30 different genes you can inherit that make it more likely you’ll also get macular degeneration. You also have a significantly increased risk if you have a close relative with it.

Many things can contribute to your chances of getting macular degeneration, including genetics, so getting checked out if you show symptoms is vital to early treatment. If you’re struggling with an eye condition, make an appointment with Dr. Rapkin and Retina Consultants of Muncie today.