if you have bad eye sight for most of your life (like you have to wear glasses or contacts) , does that mean that you will one day develop macular degeneration? or go blind?

The causes of macular degeneration are completely unknown, but the risk grows with age. No I don't thinl wearing glasses will make you go blind. I am 63 and I have worn glasses for fifty Years. My prescription changes but the corrected lens help me see a lot cleaer.

No. Macular degeneration occurs also in people who had good vision all their lives (like my grandfather who never wore glasses a day in his life). Bad eyesight is due to eye shape and corneal shape. Medium to high level nearsighted people are, as I was born and been told, a little more prone to retinal detachments and tears, but there is no guarantee that with the level of bad vision I've had my entire life I will have ANY other eye problems. There are studies being done out there to see if there is a link between macular degeneration and genetics.

Just keep up with your yearly eye exams to determine your eyes' health and to catch ANY eye problems early. There are treatments for macular degeneration and they work better the sooner they can begin.