Initial signs of dry AMD include blurry vision that worsens over time. While bright lights may help alleviate some of this blurriness, central vision will ultimately vanish as more cells in the macula break down and die off.

Wet AMD occurs when abnormal blood vessels form beneath the retina and leak blood and fluid into it, causing vision loss quickly and severely.

Symptoms

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) occurs when the macula inside your eye becomes damaged, disrupting central vision – the source of fine details like street signs, threading needles or reading small print. As macular degeneration progresses, your central vision may become clouded or distorted. However, peripheral vision – which enables you to see around your field of vision and any dark areas behind the eyes – remains intact. AMD may affect either eye, but most commonly starts in one and progresses toward the center. When first diagnosed, dry AMD causes small yellow deposits known as drusen to form under the retina and grow over time – at first without symptoms but eventually becoming severe enough to impair vision significantly. Your doctor can recommend specific dietary supplements to slow the progress of the condition.

About eight out of ten people with AMD suffer from its dry form. In this condition, macular tissue breakdown causes blurry central vision in both eyes. Over time it may progress slowly until you become aware of any change. When completed you will likely have an area in your central vision but have preserved peripheral vision.

Wet macular degeneration (wet AMD), occurs when abnormal blood vessels form under the retina and leak blood and fluid. Although less common, this form can result in rapid and severe vision loss. Straight lines may appear bent or crooked as fluid from these leaking vessels gathers under your retina lifting it up and distorting your central vision; additionally a blind spot may form. Your eye care provider will evaluate your symptoms, possibly using drops to dilate or enlarge your pupil so they can closely examine its backside.

Diagnosis

AMD first manifests itself through blurry vision. This occurs as the macula thins out due to deterioration and tiny protein clumps called drusen develop; central vision requires this structure for fine details and colors as well as driving and reading (but unfortunately can’t help with stairs!). Unfortunately it cannot aid with walking up or down stairs either!

Early AMD may not cause much change to your vision; people at this stage may show no symptoms; nevertheless, regular visits to an eye doctor for exams will provide baseline data that will help in monitoring any further damage to the eyes. Supplementing with vitamins and minerals that benefit eye health could help decrease further loss.

Wet AMD occurs when abnormal blood vessels that form underneath the retina leak fluid, gathering and lifting up your macula, distorting central vision and leading to dilation. It’s more serious and much faster than dry AMD; leading to serious vision loss over a short period.

Your eye care professional can diagnose wet AMD by conducting a comprehensive dilated eye exam, using eye drops to dilate your pupils and examine the back of both eyes, including macula. An ophthalmologist will look for signs such as drusen or other signs of AMD such as wavy lines in your field of vision that indicate AMD.

An alternative method to diagnose wet AMD is through optical coherence tomography (OCT) tests, which take non-invasive pictures of both retina and macula and show any new blood vessels growing underneath that could leak fluid and cause vision problems.

Your ophthalmologist can treat wet AMD with anti-VEGF drugs that reduce leaking from abnormal blood vessels – these are called anti-VEGF medications and they’re delivered directly into your eye via needle or laser surgery. In wet AMD, your doctor may also use photocoagulation, a laser light procedure used to destroy new blood vessels; typically done in office over just a short period.

Treatment

Researchers may not yet have developed an answer for macular degeneration, but treatments exist which may reduce its progression towards severe vision loss. There are various options available such as high-dose vitamins, anti-angiogenesis drugs and photodynamic therapy (PDT).

AMD occurs when the macula on the retina responsible for central vision and fine detail deteriorates over time, leading to blurry or blind spots in the center of vision. While early stages of AMD do not present symptoms, patients typically notice changes when straight lines begin appearing bent or wavy or when small blind spots develop at random spots on straight lines in their vision. If you suspect AMD in yourself or someone you care for, make an appointment immediately with your physician for a dilated eye exam to confirm it.

Dry macular degeneration (AMD) is the most frequently diagnosed form of AMD. This form occurs when the macula thins with age and protein clumps known as drusen form beneath the retina, blocking light-sensing cells in the macula and gradually diminishing central vision over time. Unlike wet AMD, dry AMD does not cause pain or discomfort for its victims.

Wet macular degeneration (WMD) is less frequent but more serious than dry AMD. It occurs when abnormal blood vessels sprout beneath the retina and start leaking blood and fluids, damaging the macula faster than dry AMD would do. Treatment options available to treat Wet AMD include injections known as anti-angiogenic agents like bevacizumab, ranibizumab, pegaptanib and aflibercept.

UF Health ophthalmologists have pioneered an innovative new procedure to restore some central vision lost due to wet AMD by implanting a tiny telescope known as CentraSight on the surface of the eye. This device, about the size of a pea, magnifies images normally seen through central vision and projects them onto healthy portions of retina that remain unaffected by disease. Sonal Tuli, MD of UF Health’s Eye Institute in Gainesville Florida has been performing this procedure.

Prevention

One of the best ways to prevent macular degeneration is to get regular comprehensive eye exams, even if there are no symptoms or signs. Your ophthalmologist can detect early warning signs like yellow deposits called drusen in your retina; these could become wet AMD as fluid and blood build up due to abnormal blood vessels if drusen turn into wet AMD, progressing more rapidly than dry AMD and leading to severe vision loss more quickly than before.

Your eyes can also be protected against AMD by eating a healthy diet rich in leafy greens and colorful fruits and vegetables, getting sufficient sun exposure, and taking supplementations such as lutein and zeaxanthin supplements that have been found in orange juice or dark-colored berries. Studies suggest these vitamins could slow macular degeneration progression.

Smoking and a diet high in saturated fats increase your risk of AMD, as do high cholesterol levels and blood pressure levels. Other risk factors include age (especially advanced age), female gender, white race and family history of macular degeneration.

Macular degeneration may cause irreversible vision loss, but it does not cause blindness, and recent advances in treatments are helping slow its rate of decline. A study published in April 2013 noted that interference with a chemical that stimulates new blood vessel growth can slow progression of wet AMD and improve vision.

Research is ongoing to better predict who will develop wet AMD and whether there are treatments that could prevent its occurrence. Meanwhile, UF Health retina specialists continue to search for ways to restore and maintain vision lost from AMD; for instance, under Sonal Tuli’s leadership as chair of ophthalmology at UF Health they created an apparatus which uses tiny telescopes to magnify images seen through your straight-ahead vision and project them onto your retina’s healthy parts.