Macular degeneration

Macular degeneration (MD) is a real concern for many people who come to our optometry practice – and for good reason.

For people aged over 50, MD is the top cause of vision impairment and blindness in Australia. One in seven Australians over 50 have some sign of it.

MD gradually destroys your central vision – the vision you need for everyday tasks like reading and driving.

It’s a dangerous condition because it can either advance so slowly that you don’t notice your vision is going; or it can progress so fast it leads to permanent vision loss. You can have signs of MD without even knowing, which is why regular tests and early detection is so important.

Interestingly, one of the first signs isn’t loss of sight: it’s a distortion, where straight lines appear wavy or bent.

Additional symptoms include:

• difficulty reading
• difficulty distinguishing faces
• need for increased illumination
• sensitivity to glare
• decreased night vision
• reduced colour sensitivity.

There’s no cure, but you can prevent it and slow it with early treatment.

If you’re over 50, you need regular eye tests to catch MD early before vision loss occurs.

The world-class standard for detecting MD is with Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) technology. OCT gives an exceptionally detailed 3D view of the macula.

Kofsky Optometry has extensive experience with an onsite OCT machine , so we can do a thorough test for MD right here and see a three dimensional view of the macula.

If you or your family are concerned about Macular Degeneration book an eye test today.