Age related macular degeneration mostly affects people who are over the age of fifty years old. One of the most recognized signs of early age related macular degeneration is called drusen. Drusen are defined as yellow colored deposits that are located under the retina. These yellow colored deposits are most often found in people who are age sixty and older. A doctor trained in eye care, such as an ophthalmologist, can perform eye exams where he or she will dilate the patient’s eyes to be able to detect the presence of drusen.

While the mere presence of drusen does not cause vision loss, the increase in the number of drusen or the size of drusen increases the risk of a person developing the two forms of age related macular degeneration. The two forms of age related macular degeneration are wet macular degeneration and dry macular degeneration. Increases in drusen, in size or number, can lead to age related macular degeneration, which in turn, can lead to vision loss.

As there is more than one type of macular degeneration, there is more than one type of drusen. There are two types of drusen that can occur under a person’s retina. The first type is classified as soft drusen. The presence of soft drusen is what leads to wet macular degeneration. Soft drusen is thought to be associated with a condition called choroidal neovascular membrane, or CNVM, which is basically a collection of abnormal blood vessels that leak. These leaky blood vessels are the main cause of wet macular degeneration. They are located under the retina and leak blood and fluid that leads to the swelling of the retina and possible permanent loss of vision. Wet macular degeneration, or Wet AMD, can lead to rapid vision loss among those affected with this type of the disease.

A patient is not able to see drusen with his or her naked eye. However, a trained doctor can easily detect the presence of drusen through an eye exam. If drusen are detected, the doctor will diagnose the patient as having macular degeneration. However, just because the drusen have been detected and a doctor has diagnosed a patient with macular degeneration does not mean that the patient will definitely develop the disease. Many patients diagnosed with macular degeneration go on to have ten, twenty, even thirty years of good vision.

It is important, especially as you age, that you have regular eye exams performed by an eye care professional. You may not be experiencing any symptoms, but that does not mean that you are not at risk. Detecting drusen is not something that you will be able to do at home. It is not a self exam. To protect your eye health and vision, you should attend regularly scheduled eye care appointments.