An NYU Langone doctor can use a dilated eye exam as the ideal way to assess whether macular degeneration has progressed or remains stable. During this painless procedure, your physician administers eye drops that dilate (widen) the pupils before taking pictures using optical coherence tomography of the back of your eye using OCT technology.

Blurred vision

Degeneration of the macular can often result in blurry central field of view vision. The macular, the area of your retina responsible for central vision, contains many light-sensitive cells which help you see fine details clearly; when this part degenerates it causes distortion to your central field of view vision making reading or driving difficult as well as recognising faces difficult – often remaining unaffected while color vision and peripheral vision remain unchanged.

Blurred vision can occur with both dry and wet macular degeneration. In its dry form, early/intermediate macular degeneration, small deposits called drusen build up under the retina causing your vision to blur, making dim or low-light conditions harder for you to see clearly. While this occurrence should not cause alarm; they’re simply part of growing older. But if these deposits expand or increase in number it could indicate macular degeneration worsening over time.

Under wet macular degeneration (also referred to as advanced macular degeneration), leaking blood vessels under the retina may lead to distortion in your central vision, making straight lines seem crooked or wavy as fluid leaks out from these leaky vessels and lifts macula off retinal surface causing distortions that cause you to rapidly lose straight-ahead vision. These distortions could quickly render any straight-ahead vision lost irreparable.

if you notice changes in your vision, speak with an eye doctor immediately. They can assess your symptoms and conduct eye tests using special machines. Your eye doctor may suggest using an Amsler grid at home in order to monitor changes to vision and report any discrepancies immediately. In addition, they may suggest eating plenty of fruits and vegetables for good eye health.

Difficulty reading

Reading difficulties may be an early telltale sign of macular degeneration. The condition erodes the central part of your retina – the light-sensitive layer at the back of your eye responsible for vision – where you see fine details, colors and straight lines – also known as macula. Macular degeneration gradually destroys this central vision but does not result in total blindness or blackout spots.

Macular degeneration’s dry form often begins with symptoms that include blurry vision both close up and far away, then gradually straight lines begin to look wavy or curvy; letters may blend together or there could even be blank spaces between words; it becomes difficult even reading familiar books.

As the condition advances into intermediate dry macular degeneration, you may notice drusen (small deposits under the retina) increasing and becoming larger and clumped together. Your doctor will conduct a painless test called optical coherence tomography where drops will be used to dilate your eyes before shining a light into them to produce cross-sectional images of your macula and determine whether fluid or changes exist and assess if its progression has worsened.

Wet macular degeneration occurs when abnormal blood vessels start growing beneath the retina and leak blood or fluid, usually much more quickly than with dry macular degeneration. If you notice sudden signs of wet macular degeneration, seek medical advice immediately from a hospital specialist for immediate treatment.

Difficulty recognizing faces

People suffering from early or intermediate age-related macular degeneration often notice difficulty recognizing faces – an indicator that their macula has been compromised. As the disease advances, distortion may develop where straight lines appear wavy – disrupting reading, driving and color recognition as well as depth perception – making walking difficult as you cannot gauge distance accurately.

An Amsler grid, commonly available from eye care professionals, can help you test your central vision. This grid resembles a checkerboard pattern and your doctor may ask you to cover one eye before looking at a black dot in the center of the grid. If its straight lines begin looking crooked or wavy it could be an indicator of wet macular degeneration (Wet AMD), a more severe form of AMD. Wet AMD involves abnormal blood vessels growing beneath retina which leak blood and fluid into macula which ultimately impairing its function – Wet AMD often progresses very rapidly – sometimes within days or weeks!

Macular degeneration symptoms vary depending on who is affected, with your risk increasing if there is a family history or smoking is involved. You can reduce this risk by eating plenty of fruits, vegetables, omega-3 fatty acids and getting regular eye exams once over 50. Your doctor may suggest an AREDS combination supplement to slow progression; keep an eye out every day and inform them immediately if any vision changes arise that need monitoring by daily monitoring your vision or by notifying them as soon as any issues are noticed by monitoring it regularly and notifying them immediately if any changes appear so they can treat accordingly.

Difficulty driving

One of the more severe symptoms of macular degeneration is difficulty driving, as the central part of your visual field turns into an opaque “blind spot.” This makes it hard to see traffic signals and street signs, making driving at night or in poor weather particularly hazardous. Luckily, optical devices exist that can improve vision so that you can continue driving safely.

Macular degeneration is typically diagnosed by having your eyes examined by a physician. You’ll receive eye drops to dilate your pupils and make your eyes light-sensitive; however, the effect usually wears off over time. Your physician will also shine bright lights into your eyes and examine their retina via an ophthalmoscope and microscope.

An ophthalmologist will inspect for yellow-hued deposits under the retina called drusen. Drusen are an indicator of dry macular degeneration but don’t usually lead to vision loss at this stage; however, they could worsen over time so regular eye exams should be scheduled in order to keep an eye on this issue.

Some individuals who suffer from dry macular degeneration progress quickly to the wet form, which quickly impairs vision. The wet form occurs when abnormal blood vessels form underneath the macula and leak fluid into its interior causing rapid vision loss.

Ophthalmologists can treat wet macular degeneration using laser photocoagulation, which seals off abnormal blood vessels beneath the macula to stop its progression and protect further damage to its macula. The procedure typically lasts around 10 minutes without needing anesthetic; however, you may receive premedication to ensure you do not feel anything during this process.

Loss of central vision

As macular degeneration progresses, your central vision may begin to distort or darken gradually. This occurs because macular degeneration slowly destroys your retina’s central macula region – responsible for close-up work as well as color perception – over time. Initial stages may remain relatively clear; as soon as its worsening occurs however, you may notice straight lines appear wavy or distorted; your doctor can help assess its progression by performing a comprehensive eye exam and providing you with an Amsler grid to test your vision at home.

Under dry macular degeneration, retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells stop functioning effectively and waste products accumulate under the retina forming yellowish deposits known as drusen that eventually lead to gradual vision loss and eventually lead to macula thinning and vision thinning. Conversely, wet macular degeneration occurs when abnormal blood vessels grow beneath the retina that leak fluid (hence “wet”) which quickly damage macula cells leading to rapid central vision loss.

Macular degeneration typically causes blurry vision and difficulty seeing fine details, along with other symptoms like distortion of straight lines and an increasing area of darkness in your center vision. While progression varies for everyone, certain risk factors increase your odds of macular degeneration, including having family history of it; smoking; high levels of cholesterol/triglycerides/fatty acids in your blood stream and having light skin color/blue eyes as potential risk factors.