Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the gradual degeneration of the macula, the central retinal area responsible for providing sharp focus for viewing fine details clearly. Early symptoms often include blurriness, dark areas or distortion in central vision that typically does not affect peripheral or side vision.

Blurred vision

Blurry vision can be an indicator of macular degeneration, the gradual breakdown or degradation of your eye’s central retina at the back of your eyeball, which provides sharp central vision required for threading needles or reading. Macular degeneration affects only straight ahead vision – not side views like threading needles – so regular eye care visits and avoiding high energy lighting sources such as fluorescent tubes can often help. If this condition becomes an issue for you, wearing sunglasses and hats with visors when outdoors during direct sunlight could help mitigate it further.

Eye care professionals can detect macular degeneration by conducting an ophthalmoscope examination of your retina or using fluorescein angiography to inject dye into your body and take photographs as the dye reflects off of it. Your physician may use eye drops to dilate, or widen, your pupils in order to better evaluate the back of your eye and macula. Drusen deposits beneath the retina are one of the hallmarks of dry macular degeneration and should be closely examined during an exam. If they multiply in number or size, this could signal macular degeneration – specifically wet form macular degeneration where blood vessels sprout beneath the retina and leak fluid or blood into your central vision, leading to distortions or blurriness in its center vision.

Wet macular degeneration typically progresses more rapidly than its dry counterpart, caused by abnormal blood vessels forming underneath the retina and leaking fluid or bleeding into the macula, leading to sudden vision distortions or sudden central vision loss. Current treatments for wet macular degeneration are quite successful in maintaining or improving patient vision.

Drusen

Drusen are yellow deposits under the retina in your eye that can serve as an early indicator of AMD. When large enough, they can lead to blurry central vision; typically near the edges of your macula. About 80% of people living with AMD have dry form AMD which occurs when parts of their macula thin with age and tiny clumps of protein called drusen form under their retina – though no noticeable symptoms appear until larger and more frequent drusen appear under it – moving into its intermediate stage and beyond that stage altogether.

Dry macular degeneration often manifests itself with blurry or dark areas in your central vision, as well as straight objects such as telephone poles or venetian blinds appearing crooked. You may also find difficulty adapting to lower light levels, with color or face recognition diminishing over time.

Your eye care professional can detect changes to your retina through a comprehensive dilated eye exam. They’ll use dilating eye drops to widen your pupil and an instrument called an ophthalmoscope to examine the back of your eye, as well as an Amsler grid chart and related test such as angiography or optical coherence tomography if necessary.

Visudyne is an oral drug prescribed to treat wet form macular degeneration, in which new blood vessels form under the retina and leak fluid or blood into the macula. Visudyne is taken via vein in both arms before activation via laser light activated on retinal blood vessels destroys abnormal ones; approximately 15% of patients treated with Visudyne experience improved vision after being prescribed this treatment plan.

Loss of central vision

Macular degeneration affects the macula in the retina and leads to loss of fine details when reading or looking at faces; peripheral vision remains intact however. There are two forms of macular degeneration; dry form and wet form. Both may lead to loss of central vision but occur at different times and affect eyes differently.

Dry macular degeneration occurs when an opaque substance, known as drusen, builds up underneath your retina and deposits onto it, blurring your vision and making it hard to focus on objects directly ahead. This form is less severe than wet macular degeneration which occurs due to abnormal blood vessels growing beneath it that leak blood or fluid into it.

At an eye exam, your doctor can detect early symptoms of ARMD by inspecting for drusen under your retina and by asking you to look at an Amsler grid – a pattern of straight lines similar to checkerboarding – if some appear wavy or missing this could be an indicator of wet ARMD.

Signs of wet ARMD include straight objects appearing crookedly or the appearance of a dark spot in the center of your vision. If this occurs to you, contact your eye care provider immediately as they may administer dye injections to detect leakage of blood and fluid from new abnormal blood vessels as well as optical coherence tomography, or OCT scans which capture images inside of your eye capturing any fluid leakage or abnormal vessels within it.

Blind spots

Blind spots, also known as visual gaps, occur when damaged retinal regions fail to send visual information to the brain, often acting as an early sign of macular degeneration and interfering with activities like driving, using the computer, and performing close handwork such as sewing. While macular degeneration doesn’t cause total blindness it can still be very frustrating.

Macular degeneration occurs gradually and causes gradual blurring in both near and distanced objects, sometimes with an intermittent central whitish or black spot appearing that does not necessarily impair reading or driving abilities. If this occurs it is essential to notify your physician so they can perform an eye exam to assess the damage and determine the extent of it.

About 10% of those suffering macular degeneration have its wet form, which is marked by abnormal blood vessel growth that leaks fluid onto the macula, distorting vision significantly and leading to severe distortion of macula shape. Though less prevalent than dry macular degeneration, its impact is far greater. If this applies to you it is important to notify your eye care professional as current medications for wet macular degeneration can actually improve vision if given early on before scarring forms.

Your doctor may use fundus photography or optical coherence tomography (OCT) to take high-resolution photographs of the back of your eye including retina, choroid and blood vessels. He or she may inject dye and observe your eyes for signs of leaking fluid or blood vessels; or alternatively they may perform fluorescein angiography – this involves injecting dye into veins in your arm before photographing as the dye passes through retinal blood vessels – this procedure helps identify new abnormal blood vessels causing swelling or bleeding.

Vision changes

If you notice any change to your vision, consult an eye doctor immediately. Early detection of macular degeneration increases its likelihood of response to treatment and slowing or stopping further vision loss.

Macular degeneration is a disease of the macula, an area in the retina at the back of your eye that controls straight-ahead and fine detail vision. It’s one of the leading causes of severe vision loss in people over 60 and occurs when its tissue thins out over time, rendering its functions ineffective; but usually does not lead to total blindness since other aspects such as peripheral (side) vision and color vision remain clear.

Macular degeneration most frequently manifests itself through dry macular degeneration. This condition occurs as the macula thins with age and small yellow protein deposits called drusen form under the retina, breaking down light-sensitive cells without producing visible symptoms until larger clusters form and spread throughout more of the retina.

Wet macular degeneration is a lesser-known form of macular degeneration that may occur if abnormal blood vessels grow under the retina and leak fluid or bleed, obscuring central vision or creating dark spots within your visual field.

When wet macular degeneration is detected, treatment options include laser photocoagulation or photodynamic therapy to seal off abnormal blood vessels that have leaked beneath the retina. Although not expected to restore central vision completely, this procedure has shown promise in slowing its progression significantly. Furthermore, new drug treatments are currently being studied as potential solutions.