Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsAMD VisionIs Distance Affected?Stages of AMDCoping
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
AMD Vision
Is Distance Affected?
Stages of AMD
Coping
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD)is a condition that causes loss ofcentral visionbut doesn’t affect peripheral (side) vision.
Dry AMDand the even more seriouswet AMDboth cause vision changes that, along with affecting your central vision, can make it difficult to clearly see shapes or figures, distinguish colors, or see in low lighting.The severity of symptoms depends on how far AMD has progressed.
This article will examine what those with AMD might see and not see, how the AMD stage can affect vision, ways to slow or stop AMD from progressing, and how to cope with AMD.
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Macular Degeneration Vision: What People See and (Possibly) Can’t See
AMD can affect the appearance of things and cause missing spots in your vision. The twotypes of AMDare dry AMD and wet AMD. How much your vision is affected can depend on if you have dry AMD or wet AMD.
Macular degeneration is the most common cause of severe eyesight loss inpeople age 50 and older.
Dry AMD
AMD begins as the dry form, when a part of the light-sensing retina called themaculabegins to deteriorate.The macula is the central area of the retina that helps a person see shapes, contrast, colors, and details.
What you see and might not see withdry AMDincludes:
Progression From Dry to Wet AMDAbout 10% to 15% of people with dry AMD will have it progress to wet AMD.
Progression From Dry to Wet AMD
About 10% to 15% of people with dry AMD will have it progress to wet AMD.
Wet AMD
Some cases of dry AMD progress to wet AMD, a condition in which blood vessels start to grow under the retina, causing it to bulge or pucker. Dry AMD can turn into wet AMD at any stage,
If you have wet AMD, you may experience:
Visual Hallucinations With AMD
Does Macular Degeneration Affect Distance Vision?
AMD affects bothnear and distance vision. The loss of central vision and distortion of lines, shapes, and colors can make it difficult for those with AMD to recognize faces.
How AMD Stage Affects Vision
AMD is aprogressive disease, meaning that symptoms often worsen over time. Vision changes aren’t always noticeable in the early stages, especially if only one eye is affected, because the healthy eye will try to compensate for the damaged eye.
Dry AMD hasearly, intermediate, and advancedstages, and symptoms usually progress slowly over several years.Often, dry AMD doesn’t cause noticeable symptoms in its early stage.
If dry AMD progresses to the intermediate stage, you may begin experiencing mild symptoms of blurry central vision, straight lines appearing warped, or trouble seeing in low light or distinguishing colors.
About 10% of cases of dry AMD progress to wet AMD, which can worsen much quicker than dry AMD. In both wet AMD and late-stage dry AMD, symptoms like blurry or wavy vision and loss of central vision are more severe.If left untreated, wet AMD can cause central vision loss severe enough to result in legalblindness.
Can You Slow AMD Vision Changes?
There is currently no treatment for early AMD. But theAREDS 2dietary supplement available over the counter (OTC) has beenshown to reduce the riskof intermediate-stage AMD turning into late-stage AMD. For those with AMD in one eye, the supplement might help keep AMD from progressing in the healthy eye.
The formula of AREDS 2 consists of:
Always consult your healthcare provider before starting any dietary supplements.
Lifestyle ChangesWhile not a treatment, healthy lifestyle changes may help slow vision loss from AMD. These include :Eating healthy foodsespecially dark, leafy greens and fatty fishGetting regular physical activityQuitting smokingKeepinghealthy blood pressureandcholesterollevels
Lifestyle Changes
While not a treatment, healthy lifestyle changes may help slow vision loss from AMD. These include :Eating healthy foodsespecially dark, leafy greens and fatty fishGetting regular physical activityQuitting smokingKeepinghealthy blood pressureandcholesterollevels
While not a treatment, healthy lifestyle changes may help slow vision loss from AMD. These include :
Once dry AMD reaches the advanced stage, no treatments are available to prevent vision loss.
However,medical treatmentsare available to slow or stop vision loss from wet AMD. The most common treatment is an eye injection withanti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) drugsthat helps stop blood vessels from bleeding and leaking.
Photodynamic therapy, a type of laser therapy, is sometimes also given along with anti-VEGF injections.
Embracing AMD Vision Changes
Vision rehabilitation is a type of low-vision service where alow-vision specialisthelps you learn ways to adapt to your vision loss and make the most of the vision you have left. Your eye doctor or healthcare provider can help you decide if vision rehabilitation is right for you and refer you to vision rehabilitation services.
Vision rehabilitation can include help with:
Summary
AMD is a condition that affects your central vision and how you see fine details and colors. AMD can reduce quality of life, especially if the condition progresses. If you are experiencing any of the symptoms of AMD, it’s important to contact your healthcare provider right away.
Depending on whether you have dry AMD or wet AMD and its stage, there may be treatments or other ways to stop your vision loss from progressing. Even if you have substantial vision loss, vision rehabilitation might be able to help you with ways to adapt to decreased vision and improve your quality of life.
14 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Academy of Ophthalmology.What is macular degeneration?Johns Hopkins Medicine.Age-related macular degeneration (AMD).Macular Society.Dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD).American Macular Degeneration Foundation.Types and stages of macular degeneration.Bright Focus Foundation.View how macular degeneration may affect vision.National Eye Institute.Age-related macular degeneration (AMD).Macular Society.Charles Bonnet syndrome.Harvard Health Publishing.Macular degeneration.Yale Medicine.Macular degeneration.National Eye Institute.AREDS 2 supplements for age-related macular degeneration.American Foundation for the Blind.Macular degeneration guide.National Eye Institute.Treatments for wet AMD (advanced neuromuscular AMD).National Eye Institute.Vision rehabilitation.National Eye Institute.Low vision.
14 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Academy of Ophthalmology.What is macular degeneration?Johns Hopkins Medicine.Age-related macular degeneration (AMD).Macular Society.Dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD).American Macular Degeneration Foundation.Types and stages of macular degeneration.Bright Focus Foundation.View how macular degeneration may affect vision.National Eye Institute.Age-related macular degeneration (AMD).Macular Society.Charles Bonnet syndrome.Harvard Health Publishing.Macular degeneration.Yale Medicine.Macular degeneration.National Eye Institute.AREDS 2 supplements for age-related macular degeneration.American Foundation for the Blind.Macular degeneration guide.National Eye Institute.Treatments for wet AMD (advanced neuromuscular AMD).National Eye Institute.Vision rehabilitation.National Eye Institute.Low vision.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
American Academy of Ophthalmology.What is macular degeneration?Johns Hopkins Medicine.Age-related macular degeneration (AMD).Macular Society.Dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD).American Macular Degeneration Foundation.Types and stages of macular degeneration.Bright Focus Foundation.View how macular degeneration may affect vision.National Eye Institute.Age-related macular degeneration (AMD).Macular Society.Charles Bonnet syndrome.Harvard Health Publishing.Macular degeneration.Yale Medicine.Macular degeneration.National Eye Institute.AREDS 2 supplements for age-related macular degeneration.American Foundation for the Blind.Macular degeneration guide.National Eye Institute.Treatments for wet AMD (advanced neuromuscular AMD).National Eye Institute.Vision rehabilitation.National Eye Institute.Low vision.
American Academy of Ophthalmology.What is macular degeneration?
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
Macular Society.Dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
American Macular Degeneration Foundation.Types and stages of macular degeneration.
Bright Focus Foundation.View how macular degeneration may affect vision.
National Eye Institute.Age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
Macular Society.Charles Bonnet syndrome.
Harvard Health Publishing.Macular degeneration.
Yale Medicine.Macular degeneration.
National Eye Institute.AREDS 2 supplements for age-related macular degeneration.
American Foundation for the Blind.Macular degeneration guide.
National Eye Institute.Treatments for wet AMD (advanced neuromuscular AMD).
National Eye Institute.Vision rehabilitation.
National Eye Institute.Low vision.
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