What Is AMD (Age-Related Macular Degeneration)?
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a common condition and a leading cause of vision loss in older adults. It develops when the macula, the part of the retina responsible for sharp central vision, deteriorates with age.
AMD does not cause total blindness, but the loss of central vision can affect everyday tasks such as reading, driving, and recognising faces.
As AMD often progresses slowly and without early symptoms, regular eye exams remain important for early detection.
BOOK AN APPOINTMENT WITH US TODAY FOR AGE-RELATED MACULAR DEGENERATION TREATMENTTypes of AMD
Understanding the difference between the two main types of AMD is the first step in protecting your eyesight and choosing the right care plan.
Dry AMD
The majority of people diagnosed with AMD have the dry form (also known as atrophic AMD), which occurs as the macula thins over time. Dry age related macular degeneration advances slowly over several years through three stages: early, intermediate, and late.
While there is currently no cure for late-stage dry AMD, treatment options remain limited. Low-vision rehabilitation and visual aids can help maximise remaining vision.
Additionally, if the condition has only reached the late stage in one eye, you can take specific steps to protect the health of your other eye.
Wet AMD
Wet AMD (or advanced neovascular AMD) is a less common but more aggressive form of late-stage AMD that typically causes rapid vision loss. Wet AMD may develop in eyes with pre-existing dry AMD, although it does not occur in every patient.
It occurs when abnormal, fragile blood vessels grow in the back of the eye and leak fluid, damaging the macula. Fortunately, unlike the late dry form, effective treatment options are available to help manage wet AMD.
Who Is at Risk for AMD?
You may be at a higher risk of developing AMD if you:
- Are over 50
- Have a family history
- Smokers
- Have high blood pressure or obesity, or consume a diet high in saturated fats
What Causes AMD?
While macular degeneration can be inherited, it frequently develops in individuals with no family history of the condition. The disease occurs when the macula, the central part of the retina, gradually deteriorates, though the exact underlying cause is often unknown.
While ageing is the strongest risk factor, genetics, smoking, cardiovascular disease, obesity and diet may also contribute to AMD development.
What Are the Symptoms of AMD?
The macula plays a vital role in capturing images and routing them through the optic nerve to your brain. If the macula becomes damaged, the brain can no longer properly interpret or process the visual information your eyes collect.
Because macular degeneration typically develops without early symptoms, you may not notice a change until the disease has advanced.
As it progresses, symptoms can include:
- Blurry or generally reduced vision
- Difficulty seeing in low-light environments
- Reduced contrast sensitivity
- Dark, blank, or blurry spots in the centre of your field of vision
- Wavy or curved lines
Book a Consultation with Our Eye Doctor
Noticing distorted or wavy lines in your vision can be an early warning sign of AMD. If you’re experiencing this, arrange an appointment with our eye doctor for a thorough eye examination.
Book An AppointmentHow Is AMD Diagnosed?
Macular degeneration rarely shows early symptoms, and annual eye exams are essential. Routine screenings allow eye care professionals to catch the disease in its earliest stages, when interventions are most successful.
To evaluate the health of your retina and macula, your provider may perform one or more of the following tests:
1. Dilated Eye Exam
Specialised eye drops are used to widen (dilate) your pupils, allowing your provider to thoroughly inspect the back of your eye using a magnifying lens.
2. Amsler Grid Test
You will look at a grid of straight lines with a central focal dot to check for areas that appear blurry, wavy, or broken. This simple test helps spot initial distortion and can also be used at home to monitor your vision over time.
3. Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT)
A quick, entirely painless, non-invasive scan that takes high-resolution cross-sectional images of the retina and macula while you look into a lens.
4. Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography (OCTA)
An advanced variant of the OCT that uses light waves to generate detailed images of retinal blood flow without the need for dye injection.
5. Fluorescein Angiography
A procedure where a special yellow dye is injected into an arm vein. A camera then tracks the dye as it moves through the ocular blood vessels, highlighting any fluid leaks beneath the macula.
Wavy or Blurred Vision? Start With an Eye Exam.
Many people overlook early changes in their central vision, including straight lines appearing wavy, or lack of detail in what they see.
Our eye doctors can assess your condition and perform an advanced retinal scan to determine if macular degeneration is the underlying cause of your symptoms.
Book an appointment todayHow Is Macular Degeneration Treated?
Although there is currently no cure for macular degeneration, early intervention may help slow progression and reduce the severity of symptoms. It is important to note that even after successful AMD disease treatment, further treatment may be required over time.
Treatment Options for Dry AMD
Although there is currently no cure for macular degeneration, early intervention may help slow progression and reduce the severity of symptoms. It is important to note that even after successful AMD disease treatment, further treatment may be required over time.
Treatment Options for Wet AMD
For patients with wet AMD, the main treatment option is intravitreal injections, a medication delivered directly into the eye. These drugs block a protein called Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF).
High levels of VEGF prompt the growth of fragile, abnormal blood vessels that leak fluid and damage the macula. By neutralising this protein, anti-VEGF therapies help control the disease and stabilise vision. In many cases, visual acuity improves as well.
Commonly prescribed anti-VEGF medications include:
- Lucentis (ranibizumab)
- Eylea (aflibercept)
- Vabysmo (faricimab)
