Macular Degeneration

Blotchy shadows cloud the vision of over ten million Americans in the form of an incurable disease. This disease, known as Macular Degeneration, is the leading cause of vision loss. The topic of Macular Degeneration stood out to me because my grandfather is one of the people suffering from this condition. In order to understand Macular Degeneration and its effects, people must know what Macular Degeneration is, how it affects people’s daily lives, and how it affects people emotionally. Primarily, people must know that, according to the American Macular Degeneration Foundation, Macular Degeneration is “the deterioration of the central portion of the retina, the inside back layer of the eye that records the images we see and sends them via the
People with Macular Degeneration may need to change their day to day life by exercising or dieting to slow progression of vision loss. Family members may also feel the need to submit to these changes to reduce their own risk of contracting the disease. People who suffer from this disease are more likely to have a reduced quality of life because they have more trouble carrying out daily tasks, causing them to require more assistance from family and friends every day. According to Unite for Sight, an organization dedicated to improving eye care around the world, “Visual impairment is likely to affect mobility and access to social contacts. Social isolation, disengagement, loneliness, and loss of social support may result. However, continued social support may be an effective buffer against the consequences of vision loss and the negative effects of stress caused by visual impairment” (n.pag.)This provides more of an obligation to friends and family of the sufferer to learn more about visual impairment so they can provide support more
It is common for people suffering from Macular Degeneration to develop depression in the first few months after their diagnosis. Anxiety is also known to increase, which decreases people’s desire to care for themselves and others. Individuals with Macular Degeneration can experience increases in psychological distress in their lives. According to an article written by Barbara Christiansen for the Daily Herald, “One of Dr. Jared Cooper’s patients sat in his office and told him she felt like a prisoner in her own home. The octogenarian suffered from macular degeneration and was legally blind. She didn’t want to move into assisted living, but she couldn’t do much of anything at home” (n.pag.) This disease causes people to feel trapped in their own homes, which can wear down on an individual’s self-esteem. In an interview with Macular Degeneration victim, Richard Petrashek, he says, “It’s distressing and uncomfortable when you can’t do things that other people do and things other people expect you to do. It’s depressing. Friends who don’t have it don’t completely understand it. Other people can’t visualize why you can’t see with your eyes open. It’s depressing to think that you’re going blind” (n.pag.) Petrashek shared how depressing it feels to suffer from vision loss, even with a support system, because people will never completely understand how it feels unless they suffer from vision loss themselves. It also