Age-Related Macular Degeneration Leads to Severe Vision...

Age-related macular degeneration also known as AMD is a disease leading to severe vision and legal blindness in the elderly population. I will address the health condition description and the disability and functional implications who suffer from this disease. For the health condition description of age-related macular degeneration I will discuss the etiology, onset, prevalence rate, body systems, body structures, and associated deficits that come and are associated with this disease. â€Å"AMD is the degradation of the cells at the center of the retina which is the layer of tissue at the back of the eye that registers light. The macula is responsible for ventral vision, which enables us to read, drive, participate in sports, and do anything else that requires focusing directly ahead. Macular degeneration distorts the heart of the vision field† (Macular degeneration, 1998). Sunlight and smoking are both influences of the onset of AMD (Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD), 2014). It is suggested to avoid intense bright sunlight which may help reduce the retinal degeneration. Hats, sunglasses and any other accessories that can help protect the eyes from the sun are suggested. Cigarette smoking has also been linked to increasing the risk of developing AMD and it is recommended that persons should stop smoking to decrease their chance of developing AMD (Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD), 2014). AMD does not develop until the sixth or seventh decade of life, although early