For years, Louise Turman could not read the eye chart without her glasses, but now that's changed.

"Now, it's a miracle. I have been wearing glasses since I was 13-years-old. Now, I don't even have to wear contacts or glasses or anything," says Turman.

Louise noticed she couldn't see very well and was first told it was a side-effect of having diabetes, but later found she had

"What happens is that the back of the eye, the RPE will thin in older people and the debris will stack up. Ultimately, that debris will begin to show in the retina," says Dr. Jimmy Carter, M.D.

It was something that until recently could not be effectively treated, but now doctors use an injection that has an anti-growth factor and can even regress damage in some patients.

Doctors say you should start getting your eyes checked for macular degeneration after you reach 50-years-old and notice a decline in your vision.