• What are the symptoms of AMD?
• Who is at risk for AMD?
• How is AMD diagnosed?
• How is AMD treated?
• Making the most of low vision from AMD
• Additional resources

What is AMD?
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a deterioration or breakdown of the eye’s macula. The macula is a small area in the retina — the light-sensitive tissue lining the back of the eye. The macula is the part of the retina that is responsible for your central vision, allowing you to see fine details clearly.  

Even though the macula makes up only a small part of the retina, it is much more sensitive to detail than the rest of the retina, called the peripheral retina. The macula is what allows you to thread a needle, read small print, and read street signs. The peripheral retina gives you side (or peripheral) vision.

If someone is standing off to one side of your vision, your peripheral retina helps you know that person is there by allowing you to see their general shape. It is your macula that allows you to recognize the details of the person’s face.

Many older people develop macular degeneration as part of the body’s natural aging process. There are different kinds of macular problems, but the most common is age-related macular degeneration.

The retina is made up of many layers that work together to help you see clearly. AMD develops when a layer under the retina called the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) is affected by deposits of tiny yellow or white pieces of fatty protein called drusen, or by other age-related changes.

With AMD, you may have blurriness, dark areas or distortion in your central vision, and perhaps permanent loss of your central vision. It usually does not affect your side, or peripheral vision. For example, with advanced AMD, you could see the outline of a clock, yet may not be able to see the hands of the clock to tell what time it is.

AMD alone almost never causes total blindness. People with more advanced cases of AMD continue to have useful vision using their side, or peripheral vision. In many cases, macular degeneration’s impact on your vision can be minimal.

When AMD does lead to loss of vision, it usually begins in just one eye, though it may affect the other eye later.

Many people are not aware that they have macular degeneration until they have a noticeable vision problem or until it is detected during an eye examination.

There are two types of AMD:

Dry, or atrophic, AMD (also called non-neovascular AMD)
Most people who have AMD have the dry form. This condition is caused by aging and thinning of the tissues of the macula. Macular degeneration usually begins when tiny yellow or white pieces of fatty protein form under the retina. These deposits are called drusen. Eventually, the macula may become thinner and stop working properly. With dry AMD, vision loss is usually gradual.

People who develop dry AMD must carefully and constantly monitor their central vision. If you notice any changes in your vision, you should tell your ophthalmologist (Eye M.D.) right away, as the dry form can change into the more damaging form of AMD called wet (exudative) AMD.

Monitoring your vision
If you have been diagnosed with dry AMD, you should use a chart called an Amsler grid every day to monitor your vision, as dry AMD can change into the more damaging wet form.

To use the Amsler grid, wear your reading glasses and hold the grid 12 to 15 inches away from your face in good light.

1. Cover one eye.
2. Look directly at the center dot with the uncovered eye and keep your eye focused on it.
3. While looking directly at the center dot, note whether all lines of the grid are straight or if any areas are distorted, blurry or dark.
4. Repeat this procedure with the other eye.
5. If any area of the grid looks wavy, blurred or dark, contact your ophthalmologist immediately.

If you detect any changes when looking at the grid, you should notify your ophthalmologist immediately.

Wet, or exudative, AMD (also called neovascular AMD)
The wet form of macular degeneration occurs in about 10 percent of all macular degeneration cases, but it can cause more damage to your central or detail vision than the dry form.

Capillaries, or tiny blood vessels, extend into all tissues of the body, bringing in nutrients and carrying off waste products. Capillaries usually don’t increase in size or number, but if they do, it is called abnormal blood vessel growth.

Wet AMD occurs when abnormal blood vessels begin to grow underneath the retina. This blood vessel growth is called choroidal neovascularization (CNV) because these vessels grow from the layer under the retina called the choroid. These new blood vessels may leak fluid or blood, blurring or distorting central vision. Vision loss from this form of AMD may be faster and more noticeable than that from dry AMD.