1.  Retina (Purdah) is like a photographic  film  on  which image of the object  seen by the eye is formed.  Central portion of the retina which is visually most sensitive part is called the Macula.

    2.  ARMD is a specific disease in which as the name implies, there is a degeneration (progressive damage) of the macula with advancing age. Thus like cataract, ARMD also occurs in the old age.

    3. Exact cause is unknown, probably ultraviolet rays of sunlight and heredity play a role.  High blood pressure and smoking are other definite risk factors.

     4. Two types of ARMD occur :

                    (i)       Dry Type. Only  pigment of macula is degenerated &  it accounts for 80% of cases.

                   (ii)       Wet Type. In  which abnormal blood vessels get  formed in the macula which may leak or bleed.

    5.  Wet  type  is more dangerous and damaging.  Dry  variety  may sometimes progress  to wet variety hence it should  be  kept under  periodic checkup.  These Patients must  keep  checking their  vision  with  a special  graphic  chart  (Amsler grid chart).   This should be done regularly with each  eye  sepa­rately  with  near glasses on.  Fixing eye  at  its  central point, one has to look for any distortions, dark spots,  etc. in the chart.  Any new changes appearing on looking at  the graph indicate fresh progression of disease.

    6.  No specific treatment is known for dry type.  But recently in 1991,  in  a very large study in USA conducted  for  about  6 years,  has shown beneficial results with intake  of  tablets containing  vitamin-C,  Vitamin-E,  Beta-Carotene  and  Zinc. Advanced form of disease was thus prevented in many  patients after regular intake of these tablets. All patients with ARMD must give up smoking, control their boood pressure well,  eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables (especially green leafy vegetable like spinach, carrots, tomatoes, etc.

 For  wet  type, fluorescein angiography (dye  injection  into vein   of  the hand  to study blood vessels of the eye)  is  must  to exactly localise the abnormal blood vessels and destroy it by laser  rays or special injections into the eye (Anti-VEGF drugs like- Avastin, Lucentis). But whatever damage to vision has already  been caused is irreversible. Only further damage can be controlled to some extent.  This may have to be repeated multiple times.