Macular degeneration

There are two types of macular degeneration, wet and dry. Neither of them cause pain.

• For dry AMD, the most common early sign is blurred vision. Often this blurred vision will go away in brighter light. If the loss of these light-sensing cells becomes great, people may see a small--but growing--blind spot in the middle of their field of vision.

Passive smoking almost doubles the risk of the progressively degenerative eye disease, age related macular degeneration, shows research in the British Journal of Ophthalmology.

The macula lies at the centre of retina at the back of the eye. It's crucial for fine central vision, which is essential for tasks, such as reading and driving.