Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) Info Sheet
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BASIC FACT SHEET (Does not replace a medical consultation)
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of vision loss for older adults. AMD causes vision loss to the central part of your vision, which makes it difficult to look directly at something, thus affecting common activities like driving, reading, seeing faces, cooking, and all of your everyday activities. Here is brief summary of the disease:
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What is it? Symptoms Treatment References Organizations
What is AMD?
Excerpts from the National Institute of Health (NIH) and the National Eye Institute (NEI):
- Age-related macular degeneration is an eye disease that can blur your central vision. It happens when aging causes damage to the macula — the part of the eye that controls sharp, straight-ahead vision. The macula is part of the retina (the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye).
- AMD progresses very slowly in some people and faster in others. If you have early AMD, you may not notice vision loss for a long time. That’s why it’s important to get regular eye exams.
Dry Form of AMD
Dry AMD (also called atrophic AMD) is the most common form of AMD. This is when the macula gets thinner with age. Dry AMD happens in 3 stages: early, intermediate, and late. It usually progresses slowly over several years. Any stage of dry AMD can turn into wet AMD .
Wet Form of AMD
Wet AMD (also called advanced neovascular AMD), is less common, usually causes faster vision loss. and is always late stage. About 10-15 percent of people with dry AMD will develop the wet form in one or both eyes.
With wet AMD, abnormal blood vessels grow beneath the macula. These vessels leak blood and fluid into the macula and damage photoreceptor cells.
Symptoms
The symptoms of AMD depend on the stage. Dry AMD happens in 3 stages: early, intermediate, and late.
- Early dry: doesn’t cause any symptoms.
- Intermediate dry: some people still have no symptoms. Others may notice mild symptoms, like mild blurriness in their central vision or trouble seeing in low lighting.
- Late (wet or dry type): many people notice that straight lines start to look wavy or crooked. You may also notice a blurry area near the center of your vision. Over time, this blurry area may get bigger or you may see blank spots. Colors may also seem less bright than before, and you may have more trouble seeing in low lighting.
Straight lines looking wavy is a warning sign for late AMD. If you notice this symptom, see your eye doctor right away. If you look at the grid below and focus on the black dot, if you see anything but a grid, including spots, wavy, lines, etc., you should see an ophthalmologist.
AMSLER eye test for central visionTreatment
- If you suspect AMD, you should first have an eye examination. More than likely you will be referred to a retina specialist. There is no cure, but there are some treatments that may help slow or reduce the progress and symptoms.
Dry Form
- Early-stage: There is no treatment for early dry AMD. Living a healthy lifestyle, including diet and exercise may help slow the progression. Smoking is a risk factor, so quitting is a good idea.
- Intermediate stage: There are some dietary supplements that may be recommended by your eye doctor.
- Late-stage: There is no treatment.
Wet Form
Several eye injection therapies are available for the wet form of AMD. These help to stop the growth of leaky, blood vessels which can cause vision loss.
See more detailed information on treatments and research info here.
References
- National Eye Institute at the National Institute of Health. https://www.nei.nih.gov/
- Foundation Fighting Blindness https://www.fightingblindness.org/
Disease-Specific Organizations
American Macular Degeneration Foundation
P.O. Box 515
Northampton, MA 01061-0515
(413)-268-7660
American Academy of Ophthalmology
P.O. Box 7424
Sam Francisco, CA 74120-7424
(415) 561-8500
Macular Vision Research Foundation
300 Barr Harbor Drive, Suite 600
West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2984
(866)-462-2852
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