AMD is the leading cause of adult vision loss in the US.
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AMD is a disease that causes damage to your macula. Your macula is the small part of your retina that controls all of your central vision. With AMD, your ability to use your central vision becomes more difficult.
For example, when you look a watch face, with a healthy macula, you see the hands and the numbers but with AMD you might not see the hands, just the numbers. AMD is very common. Without early detection and intervention, patients may suffer from significant, permanent vision loss. It is leading cause of vision loss in people 50 years of age or older. This is why it is so important to have your eyes checked yearly by your eye care professional. |
Are you at risk?
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One of the earliest symptoms of AMD is poor night vision. However, there are several other risk factors you should look for. Age 50 and over, Family History of AMD, Caucasian, Female, Current or past smoker, Overweight, Heart Disease, High Blood Pressure, High Cholesterol, Diet high in saturated fats.
What you should know:
There are two types of AMD: Dry and Wet.
Dry AMD is the most common. Approximately 80% (8 out of 10 adults) of AMD cases are dry. This means that the macula is thinning with age and developing protein deposits called drusen. With Dry AMD you slowly lose your central vision. Wet AMD is less common but more severe. Wet AMD occurs when abnormal blood vessels develop beneath your retina and leak blood or other fluid. This causes scarring to happen. With Wet AMD you lose vision much more rapidly. |
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I've been diagnosed with AMD....now what?
If any form of AMD is diagnosed, your eye doctor will want to schedule additional diagnostic testing.
These test may include:
Each of the above test view the function or the structure of your macula. By viewing your macula from different perspectives, the doctor has a fuller picture of the over all health of the macula. Once that is established, an appropriate treatment plan can be obtained.
Once the diagnosis of AMD has been made, the doctor will repeat these test periodically to monitor progression of the disease.
Currently there is no cure for AMD. However, with today’s technology we are able to detect AMD much earlier and be proactive with treatment to manage the condition.
These test may include:
- OCT imaging
- Fundus Photography
- Visual Fields Thresholds
- Electroretinography (ERG)
- Dark Adaption
- Color Diagnosis
Each of the above test view the function or the structure of your macula. By viewing your macula from different perspectives, the doctor has a fuller picture of the over all health of the macula. Once that is established, an appropriate treatment plan can be obtained.
Once the diagnosis of AMD has been made, the doctor will repeat these test periodically to monitor progression of the disease.
Currently there is no cure for AMD. However, with today’s technology we are able to detect AMD much earlier and be proactive with treatment to manage the condition.
