10 Symptoms of Macular Degeneration

By jolene

Article Sources

Medical Expert

More About Us

Symptom #9: Difficulty Recognizing Others

Although the macula provides only a small fraction of the visual field, nearly half of the visual cortex processes information from the macula. Patients with macular degeneration often experience a partial or complete loss of their central vision. While patients with macular degeneration will not experience total blindness since the peripheral vision comprises approximately 97.9 percent of the retina, the loss of central vision can greatly affect the quality of life.

Besides difficulty recognizing faces, affected patients also have trouble reading. The loss of central vision is apparent when attempting to identify words that are on the side while focusing on the center.