Final answer:
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the medical term for the disease where small hemorrhages affect the photoreceptors, leading to blindness, with no current cure and significant prevalence worldwide.
Step-by-step explanation:
The medical term for the disease in which small hemorrhages block oxygen to the photoreceptors is called age-related macular degeneration (AMD). This disease is significant as it is the most common cause of blindness in the Western hemisphere.
In AMD, there is a death of retinal pigment epithelium cells that normally support the macula, an area of the retina responsible for high visual acuity. As the macula loses support and nourishment, patients begin to experience a black spot in their central vision which may expand as the condition progresses. AMD affects approximately 15 million people in the United States and 30 million worldwide, although presently there is no cure for this condition.