Can younger people get macular degeneration?

Yes, there are several forms of juvenile macular degeneration (JMD), and all are inherited. The most common form of JMD is Stargardt's disease, also called fundus flavimaculatus or macular dystrophy, which normally develops in the childhood or teen years. Best disease or vitelliform macular degeneration is the second most common form of JMD; symptoms usually occur between birth and age 7. People in their thirties or forties can develop genetic forms of macular disease such as Sorsby's fundus dystrophy, Behr's dystrophy and Doyne's honeycomb retinal dystrophy. Finally, myopic macular degeneration can occur in people who are severely near-sighted due to extreme elongation of the eyeball. This condition can result in macula tears and bleeding beneath the retina.

Resources:

• Macular Degeneration Toolkit (Information to Help You Understand and Manage Macular Degeneration)
• Expert Articles on Macular Degeneration
• Questions and Answers about Macular Degeneration