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(Courtesy of American Academy of Ophthalmology)
5 percent of people are dissatisfied, but you can improve the odds of not being among them.
Health Community
Vision changes that come with cataracts, macular degeneration, and glaucoma can be frightening and depressing. Talk with others experiencing the same loss about treatments and how they cope.
The most common symptom is a painless blurring of vision. Everything becomes dimmer, as if seen through glasses that need cleaning. Most often both eyes are affected, although vision is usually more compromised in one eye than the other.
The vision loss that characterizes glaucoma is caused by pressure on the optic nerve, commonly a result of a buildup of "aqueous humor." This clear fluid brings nutrients to the lens and cornea and carries waste products away—but doesn't always drain properly.
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AMD usually goes undetected until it reaches the advanced stage, when noticeable changes in central vision become apparent, such as blurring, waviness, or a loss of color. Blinds spot are usually noticeable, and eventually there can be a complete loss of central vision. Peripheral vision is almost never affected.
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