Stargardt's Disease

Stargardt's disease is an inherited form of juvenile macular degeneration. Macular degeneration is a reduction of central eye vision. The disease is normally found in people under the age of 20 and vision loss continues to progress as you age. The disease normally does not cause complete vision loss, but glasses or contact lenses cannot correct it.

Causes

• Stargardt's disease is passed to children from parents who both carry the recessive gene mutations of the disease. The parents may carry the recessive gene, but normally are not afflicted with the disease itself.

Symptoms

• Early symptoms may be mild, but as the disease progresses, symptoms will worsen. First stage symptoms may include blurry vision that cannot be corrected with glasses or contact lenses and difficulty entering a dim room after being in bright sunlight. Later stage symptoms include night blindness, progressive central vision loss, an inability to determine colors and a central blind spot.

  The disease normally occurs before the age of 20, but symptoms may not be noticed until middle age. The disease is progressive, but varies from person to person on how fast central vision is lost.

Diagnosis

• An ophthalmologist will perform an examination of the eyes and will be able to see deterioration of the retina's cone receptor cells which are responsible for central vision. These diseased cells will cause a black hole to form in the central vision.

Treatment

• There is no cure for Stargardt's disease. Laser treatment may be necessary if blood vessels begin to leak in the retina, but the treatment does not restore vision loss. Devices such as large print books, bright lamps and a magnifying glass may help aid in vision loss. Wear UVB sunglasses when outdoors to keep ultraviolet rays from producing additional damage to the retina.

Solution

• Limit your exposure to bright sunlight as this may trigger retinal damage associated with Stargardt's disease. Parents should undergo genetic counseling if there is a history of the disease within the family. Contact a local agency for the vision impaired for counseling and how to cope with vision loss.