Macular degeneration, often called AMD or ARMD (age-related macular degeneration), is an incurable eye disease and is the leading cause of blindness for those aged 55 and older in the United States.

AMD is caused by the deterioration of the central portion of the retina, called the macula, and is responsible for focusing central vision in the eye which is needed to read, drive, recognize faces or colors, and see objects in fine detail. When the macula does not function correctly, your central vision may be blurred, become dark, or distorted. AMD affects your ability to see near and far.

Dry and Wet Forms of Macular Degeneration

Dry AMD occurs as a result of the break down of the light-sensitive cells in the macula, causing a gradual blurring of central vision in the affected eye. As dry AMD gets worse, you may see a blurred spot in the center of your vision. Slightly blurred vision, needing more light when reading or doing tasks, and difficulty seeing faces are all symptoms of dry AMD. Over time, the central vision in the affected eye is lost. Dry AMD can affect both eyes, but vision can be lost in one eye without affecting the other.

When new, abnormal blood vessels behind the retina begin to grow under the macula, the result is Wet AMD. Because thenew blood vessels are fragile, they often leak blood and fluid. This blood and fluid leakage can raise the macula from its normal place at the back of the eye, rapidly damaging the macula, and causing loss of central vision. Wet AMD does not have stages like dry AMD. One important early symptom of wet AMD is that straight lines appear wavy.

If you notice this condition or other changes to your vision, contact your Ophthalmologist at once. You will need a comprehensive dilated eye exam.

Symptoms and Detection

What are the symptoms?

• Both forms of AMD cause no pain.

• For dry AMD: the most common early symptom is a blurry vision and the inability to see details, such as faces or words in a book, clearly. Many times, this blurry vision will go away with brighter light. As the loss of these light-sensing cells progresses, people may see a small--but increasing--blind spot in the middle of their vision.
• For wet AMD: the most common early symptom is that straight lines appear wavy or crooked. A small blind spot may also appear in wet AMD, resulting in loss of central vision.

Until people begin experiencing noticeably blurred vision, they do not realize that they have a macular problem. Our Ophthalmologists can detect early stages of AMD during a medical eye exam that includes: a dilated vision test, viewing of the macula with an ophthalmoscope, and additional special testing such as fluorescein angiographs (which are special photos of the eye).