AMD causes loss of central vision but does not affect side vision. For instance, imagine you are looking at a clock with hands. With AMD, you might see the clock’s numbers but not the hands.

AMD is very common. It is a leading cause of vision loss in people 50 years or older.

Video: How the Eye Works and AMD

Two Types of Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Dry Age-Related Macular Degeneration

This form is quite common. About 80 percent (8 out of 10) of people who have AMD have the dry form. Dry AMD is when parts of the macula get thinner with age and tiny deposits called drusen build up. People with dry AMD may have drusen, pigment abnormalities, or geographic atrophy (an area of cell loss in the retina). Geographic atrophy can cause loss of central vision.

Video: What Is Dry Age-Related Macular Degeneration?

Wet Age-Related Macular Degeneration

This form is less common but much more serious. Wet AMD is when new, abnormal blood vessels grow under the retina. These vessels may leak blood or other fluids, causing scarring of the macula. Vision loss is faster with wet AMD than dry AMD.

Many people don’t realize they have AMD until their vision is very blurry. This is why it is important to have regular visits to an ophthalmologist. They can look for early signs of AMD before you have any vision problems.

Who Is at Risk for AMD?

You are more likely to develop AMD if you:

• eat a diet high in saturated fat (found in foods like meat, butter, and cheese)
• are overweight
• smoke cigarettes
• have hypertension (high blood pressure)
• have a family history of AMD
• are over 50 years old

Having heart disease is another risk factor for AMD, as is having high cholesterol levels. White people also have an elevated risk of getting AMD.

Age-Related Macular Degeneration Diagnosis

During an eye exam, your ophthalmologist may ask you to look at an Amsler grid. This grid helps you notice any blurry, distorted, or blank spots in your field of vision. 

Your ophthalmologist will put dilating eye drops in your eye to widen your pupil. This allows them to look through a special lens at the inside of your eye. They can see if there are changes in the retina and macula.

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is another way to look closely at the retina. A machine scans the retina and provides very detailed images of the retina and macula.

Your doctor may do fluorescein angiography to see what is happening with the blood vessels in your retina. Yellow dye (called fluorescein) is injected into a vein, usually in your arm. The dye travels through your blood vessels. A special camera takes photos of the retina as the dye travels throughout its blood vessels. This shows if abnormal new blood vessels are growing under the retina.

Video: Fluorescein Angiography for AMD

Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) is another way to look closely at the blood vessels in and under the retina. This is like fluorescein angiography but does not use a dye.

Age-Related Macular Degeneration Treatment

Dry AMD treatment

Right now, only dry AMD with geographic atrophy can be treated. Medications injected into your eye may
slow how fast geographic atrophy progresses. Hopefully, this will delay vision loss.

There is no treatment for drusen. However people with lots of drusen or serious vision loss might benefit from taking a certain combination of nutritional supplements. A large study (AREDS and the later AREDS 2 study) found people with certain drusen may slow their dry AMD by taking these vitamins and minerals daily:

• Vitamin C (500 mg)
• Vitamin E (400 IU)
• Lutein (10 mg)
• Zeaxanthin (2 mg)
• Zinc (80 mg)
• Copper (2 mg)

Your ophthalmologist can tell you if vitamins and minerals are recommended for your dry AMD, as not all forms will benefit from the AREDS supplements. Beta carotene should not be used by smokers as it raised the risk of lung cancer.

Eye-healthy foods

Dark leafy greens, yellow fruits and vegetables, fish, and a balanced, nutrient-rich diet have been shown beneficial for people with AMD.

Wet AMD treatment

To help treat wet AMD, there is a class of medications called anti-VEGF drugs. Anti-VEGF treatment helps reduce leaking  abnormal blood vessels in your retina. It also slows any leaking from blood vessels. This medicine is delivered to your eye through a very thin needle.

Laser surgery may also be used to treat some types of wet AMD. Your eye surgeon shines a laser light beam on the abnormal blood vessels. This reduces the number of vessels and slows their leaking.

Talk with your ophthalmologist about ways to treat your AMD.

Video: Laser Therapy for Wet AMD

Making the Most of the Vision You Have

If you have AMD, you can learn how to make the most of your vision. Often you can still do many of your favorite things with special low vision tools. These can include different kinds of magnifying tools, handheld computers, electronic items and more.

Also, you can learn how to use your side vision to help you do things. A vision rehabilitation specialist can teach you how this works. They also can help you find many low vision support services and tools.

Ask your ophthalmologist to help you find a vision rehabilitation specialist in your area. The goal is to learn new ways to be as independent as possible.

Test Your Vision with the Amsler Grid

AMD causes your vision to change over time. You may not notice these changes when they happen. But you need to catch vision changes as soon as possible. Treating them early can help slow or stop further loss of sight.

You should use an Amsler grid every day to monitor your vision. One is below for you to use.

Here is how to use the Amsler grid:

• Keep the Amsler grid in a place where you see it every day. Many people keep an Amsler grid on their refrigerator door or on their bathroom mirror.
• In good light, look at the grid from about 12 to 15 inches away. Be sure to wear your reading glasses if you normally use them.
• Cover one eye. Look directly at the dot in the center of the grid with your uncovered eye. Notice if any of the lines look bent or wavy. See if any part of the grid looks blurry, dim, or out of shape.
• Now cover your other eye and test your vision this same way again.

Call your ophthalmologist right away if you notice that any lines or parts of the grid look wavy, blurry, or dim.

This is what an Amsler grid might look like with blurry, wavy lines, or dim areas.

Frequently Asked Questions About Macular Degeneration

Q. What’s the difference between dry AMD and wet AMD? Can dry AMD turn into wet AMD?

A: Dry AMD involves thinning of the macula and is the more common form. Wet AMD occurs when abnormal blood vessels grow under the retina and leak blood or fluid, leading to faster and more serious vision loss. Dry AMD can progress to wet AMD in some people, which is why regular monitoring and prompt evaluation of new symptoms (like sudden distortion or dark spots) are important. Learn about geographic atrophy, a relatively common type of dry AMD.

Q. How can I monitor my vision at home if I have AMD or am at risk for it?

A: Many ophthalmologists recommend using an Amsler grid at home, once a day, every day. This grid helps detect changes like wavy, missing, or distorted lines, which are early signs of macular changes. Checking each eye separately and reporting new distortions to your eye doctor right away can help detect progression earlier. Learn how to use an Amsler grid.

Q. Are there lifestyle changes or vitamins that help slow AMD progression?

A: Certain lifestyle habits support eye health, including not smoking, eating a diet rich in leafy greens and fish, and protecting eyes from UV light. For people with intermediate AMD, specific vitamin formulations known as AREDS2 vitamins may help slow progression. Talk with your ophthalmologist to determine whether this supplement is appropriate for you.