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Will Drusen Cause Blindness?
Exploring the Link Between Eye Health and Vision Loss.
My Eye Exam for 2024:
The ophthalmologist discovered drusen during my eye exam. I exclaimed, “Oh my heavens! Is this serious? Will I go blind? What should I do?”
“No need to panic yet,” the doctor reassures, and he goes on to explain the situation.
The term ‘drusen’ comes from the German word for ‘node’ or ‘geode.’ During my eye exam, he saw small yellow and white deposits between Bruch’s membrane and the retinal pigment epithelium at the back of both eyes.
What is it?
Drusen bodies are extracellular deposits of cholesterol, lipid droplets, proteins and cellular debris.
As people age, having some small “hard” drusen is normal. Most people over the age of 40 have some hard drusen. However, having more extensive and numerous drusen in the macula could be an early sign of age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
