Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsTiming of Vision LossChanges in VisionTreatmentsMonitoring AMDAccommodations
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Timing of Vision Loss
Changes in Vision
Treatments
Monitoring AMD
Accommodations
Age-related macular degeneration(AMD) is the most common form of vision loss in adults over age 55 in developed countries.It is a condition that worsens over time. AMD affects the part of theretinathat processes what you see in front of you, known as themacula, and causes a gradual loss of central vision or acute vision loss.
AMD vision loss affects your functional vision, impacting activities of daily living like the ability to read, drive, or make out fine details in your central vision.
This article will help you understand AMD vision loss and provide strategies to manage the condition.
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How Soon Does AMD Cause Vision Loss?
There are two types of AMD vision loss—dry and wet—and they cause vision loss at different speeds.
Dry AMD
Dry AMDaccounts for 85% to 90% of cases of AMD. It arises from deposits in the macula called drusen.Dry AMD progression depends on the size of the drusen. About 1% to 3% of people with small drusen experience significant vision loss within five years.However, up to 1 in 5 people with medium-sized drusen experience vision problems in the same time frame as their diagnosis. Vision loss is seen in nearly half (47%) of people with large drusen.
Wet AMD
Wet AMD, also known as neovascular AMD, is considered an advanced form of the condition, and vision loss may occur within a few days or weeks of onset. It ismore severe than dry AMD and accounts for most cases of AMD-related blindness. It arises due to irregular blood vessel growth in the retina, which leaks blood and affects the macula.
Stages of AMD Vision Loss
While there are individual differences in theprogression of AMD, the condition typically passes through three stages, as follows:
Low Vision Exam and Vision RehabilitationAs soon as you are diagnosed with AMD, you will be referred to a low-vision specialist for an exam and vision rehabilitation. Some low-vision and rehabilitation centers provide services to help with the transition of vision loss.About 1 in 4 people with severe vision loss report having a mental health condition, such as anxiety and depression.Working with a low-vision specialist for vision rehabilitation can provide you with the support and accommodations you need to reduce your risk for mental health challenges and improve your quality of life.
Low Vision Exam and Vision Rehabilitation
As soon as you are diagnosed with AMD, you will be referred to a low-vision specialist for an exam and vision rehabilitation. Some low-vision and rehabilitation centers provide services to help with the transition of vision loss.About 1 in 4 people with severe vision loss report having a mental health condition, such as anxiety and depression.Working with a low-vision specialist for vision rehabilitation can provide you with the support and accommodations you need to reduce your risk for mental health challenges and improve your quality of life.
As soon as you are diagnosed with AMD, you will be referred to a low-vision specialist for an exam and vision rehabilitation. Some low-vision and rehabilitation centers provide services to help with the transition of vision loss.
About 1 in 4 people with severe vision loss report having a mental health condition, such as anxiety and depression.Working with a low-vision specialist for vision rehabilitation can provide you with the support and accommodations you need to reduce your risk for mental health challenges and improve your quality of life.
Vision Changes From AMD
Whether wet or dry, AMD can drastically affect your vision, especially if untreated. However, AMD does not impact your peripheral vision (seeing from the side of the eye).
Since this condition affects the macula, it greatly impacts your central vision.AMD signsinclude:
More often, late-stage AMD affects one eye, though having it in one increases the chances of developing it in the other.
What Helps With AMD Vision Loss?
AMD vision loss is progressive and chronic, meaning no treatment can reverse it. However, taking certain supplements and making lifestyle changes can slow its progression in the early stages. Medications may also be indicated for advanced and wet AMD.
Lifestyle Changes
If you detect AMD in its early or intermediate stages, adopting preventive strategies and making lifestyle changes will help. While these will not stop the condition from progressing, they can slow it down. Such approaches to prevention include:
Supplements
Alongside lifestyle changes, taking certain vitamin and mineral supplements can be another way to slow the progression of AMD. Healthcare providers may recommend taking special supplements called AREDS-2 (Age-Related Eye Disease Study 2).These supplements include:
While AREDS-2 supplements are available in pharmacies, talk to your healthcare provider before trying them or attempting other supplements.
Specialty Glasses
Ultraviolet (UV) rays in light can damage the retinas and spur the progress of AMD vision loss. Wearingspecialized glassescan help you manage the condition. Your optometrist or healthcare provider may be able to recommend pairs that canprotect from UV rays.
The American Macular Degeneration Foundation (AMDF) recommends sunglasses labeled “UV 400” to protect against UV rays.
Blue-light-blocking glasses have grown in popularity, however, there is no evidence to support the benefit of blue-light glasses for AMD.
Managing AMD Vision Loss on a Budget
Some treatments and preventive measures for AMD vision loss are expensive. If you’re on a budget, some ways to manage the condition include:
Medications
Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) drugs may help slow wet AMD-associated vision loss. However, these medications aren’t effective for advanced dry AMD.
In this procedure, a healthcare provider will numb your eyes and apply anti-VEGF drugs via a very fine needle injection to help stop the bleeding and leaking of the retina that causes the condition. The effects are temporary, so multiple treatments are needed. Anti-VEGF drugs include:
Geographic Atrophy Treatments
Geographic atrophy(GA) is a condition that can occur in the later stages of AMD. In GA, which affects around 20% of people with AMD, retinal cells die in patches, causing a map-like appearance on the retina.
In 2023, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first two medications to treat GA, calledSyfovre(pegcetacoplan) andIzervay(avacincaptad pegol). Both drugs are in a class called complement inhibitors, which work directly on the damaged portion of the macula to preserve vision and stop GA vision loss from progressing.
Monitoring AMD Vision Loss
They may use one or more of the following procedures:
Accommodations for AMD Vision Loss
Since treatment can’t reverse AMD vision loss, it’s important to understand what you can do to make life with the condition more manageable. Such strategies include:
According to theAmericans with Disabilities Act (ADA), employers must provide “reasonable accommodations” for your condition if you can demonstrate disability due to AMD vision loss. These include:
Your employer may request documentation and proof of your disability. In addition, they can refuse a request for a reasonable accommodation if it causes an “undue hardship” in the workplace.
Find ResourcesIn the United States, all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and four territories haveState Vocational Rehabilitation Officesfor people with vision loss and disabilities.
Find Resources
In the United States, all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and four territories haveState Vocational Rehabilitation Officesfor people with vision loss and disabilities.
Summary
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a vision disorder that causes gradual central vision loss. It is a progressive and irreversible condition most prevalent in adults over 55. Treatments focus on slowing the progression of AMD vision loss and include lifestyle changes, supplements, or medication injections. Wearing wraparound sunglasses, increasing text size on screens, and using strong lights are some ways to manage this condition.
If you have AMD, work with a low-vision specialist and vision rehabilitation team of vision loss experts in addition to seeing your treating ophthalmologist.
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.National Eye Institute.Age-related macular degeneration.MedlinePlus.Age-related macular degeneration.National Center for Biotechnology Information.Age-related macular degeneration (AMD): overview.Heesterbeek TJ, Lorés‐Motta L, Hoyng CB, Lechanteur YTE, den Hollander AI.Risk factors for progression of age‐related macular degeneration.Ophthalmic Physiologic Optic. 2020;40(2):140-170.de Koning-Backus APM, Kiefte-de Jong JC, van Rooij JGJ, et al.Lifestyle intervention randomized controlled trial for age-related macular degeneration (Amd-life): Study design.Nutrients. 2023;15(3):602. doi:10.3390/nu15030602Fontenot JL, Bona MD, Kaleem MA, et al.Vision Rehabilitation Preferred Practice Pattern®.Ophthalmology. 2018;125(1):P228-P278. doi:10.1016/j.ophtha.2017.09.030Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About vision loss and mental health.National Eye Institute.AREDS 2 supplements for age-related macular degeneration (AMD).American Macular Degeneration Foundation.Ultra-violet and blue light aggravate macular degeneration.Pugazhendhi A, Hubbell M, Jairam P, Ambati B.Neovascular macular degeneration: A review of etiology, risk factors, and recent advances in research and therapy.Int J Mol Sci. 2021;22(3):1170. doi:10.3390/ijms22031170DailyMed. National Institutes of Health.IZERVAY- avacincaptad pegol injection.DailyMed. National Institutes of Health.SYFOVRE- pegcetacoplan injection, solution.Thomas CJ, Mirza RG, Gill MK.Age-related macular degeneration.Med Clin North America. 2021;105(3):473-491. doi:10.1016/j.mcna.2021.01.003U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.Visual disabilities in the workplace and the Americans with disabilities act.
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.National Eye Institute.Age-related macular degeneration.MedlinePlus.Age-related macular degeneration.National Center for Biotechnology Information.Age-related macular degeneration (AMD): overview.Heesterbeek TJ, Lorés‐Motta L, Hoyng CB, Lechanteur YTE, den Hollander AI.Risk factors for progression of age‐related macular degeneration.Ophthalmic Physiologic Optic. 2020;40(2):140-170.de Koning-Backus APM, Kiefte-de Jong JC, van Rooij JGJ, et al.Lifestyle intervention randomized controlled trial for age-related macular degeneration (Amd-life): Study design.Nutrients. 2023;15(3):602. doi:10.3390/nu15030602Fontenot JL, Bona MD, Kaleem MA, et al.Vision Rehabilitation Preferred Practice Pattern®.Ophthalmology. 2018;125(1):P228-P278. doi:10.1016/j.ophtha.2017.09.030Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About vision loss and mental health.National Eye Institute.AREDS 2 supplements for age-related macular degeneration (AMD).American Macular Degeneration Foundation.Ultra-violet and blue light aggravate macular degeneration.Pugazhendhi A, Hubbell M, Jairam P, Ambati B.Neovascular macular degeneration: A review of etiology, risk factors, and recent advances in research and therapy.Int J Mol Sci. 2021;22(3):1170. doi:10.3390/ijms22031170DailyMed. National Institutes of Health.IZERVAY- avacincaptad pegol injection.DailyMed. National Institutes of Health.SYFOVRE- pegcetacoplan injection, solution.Thomas CJ, Mirza RG, Gill MK.Age-related macular degeneration.Med Clin North America. 2021;105(3):473-491. doi:10.1016/j.mcna.2021.01.003U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.Visual disabilities in the workplace and the Americans with disabilities act.
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.
National Eye Institute.Age-related macular degeneration.MedlinePlus.Age-related macular degeneration.National Center for Biotechnology Information.Age-related macular degeneration (AMD): overview.Heesterbeek TJ, Lorés‐Motta L, Hoyng CB, Lechanteur YTE, den Hollander AI.Risk factors for progression of age‐related macular degeneration.Ophthalmic Physiologic Optic. 2020;40(2):140-170.de Koning-Backus APM, Kiefte-de Jong JC, van Rooij JGJ, et al.Lifestyle intervention randomized controlled trial for age-related macular degeneration (Amd-life): Study design.Nutrients. 2023;15(3):602. doi:10.3390/nu15030602Fontenot JL, Bona MD, Kaleem MA, et al.Vision Rehabilitation Preferred Practice Pattern®.Ophthalmology. 2018;125(1):P228-P278. doi:10.1016/j.ophtha.2017.09.030Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About vision loss and mental health.National Eye Institute.AREDS 2 supplements for age-related macular degeneration (AMD).American Macular Degeneration Foundation.Ultra-violet and blue light aggravate macular degeneration.Pugazhendhi A, Hubbell M, Jairam P, Ambati B.Neovascular macular degeneration: A review of etiology, risk factors, and recent advances in research and therapy.Int J Mol Sci. 2021;22(3):1170. doi:10.3390/ijms22031170DailyMed. National Institutes of Health.IZERVAY- avacincaptad pegol injection.DailyMed. National Institutes of Health.SYFOVRE- pegcetacoplan injection, solution.Thomas CJ, Mirza RG, Gill MK.Age-related macular degeneration.Med Clin North America. 2021;105(3):473-491. doi:10.1016/j.mcna.2021.01.003U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.Visual disabilities in the workplace and the Americans with disabilities act.
National Eye Institute.Age-related macular degeneration.
MedlinePlus.Age-related macular degeneration.
National Center for Biotechnology Information.Age-related macular degeneration (AMD): overview.
Heesterbeek TJ, Lorés‐Motta L, Hoyng CB, Lechanteur YTE, den Hollander AI.Risk factors for progression of age‐related macular degeneration.Ophthalmic Physiologic Optic. 2020;40(2):140-170.
de Koning-Backus APM, Kiefte-de Jong JC, van Rooij JGJ, et al.Lifestyle intervention randomized controlled trial for age-related macular degeneration (Amd-life): Study design.Nutrients. 2023;15(3):602. doi:10.3390/nu15030602
Fontenot JL, Bona MD, Kaleem MA, et al.Vision Rehabilitation Preferred Practice Pattern®.Ophthalmology. 2018;125(1):P228-P278. doi:10.1016/j.ophtha.2017.09.030
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About vision loss and mental health.
National Eye Institute.AREDS 2 supplements for age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
American Macular Degeneration Foundation.Ultra-violet and blue light aggravate macular degeneration.
Pugazhendhi A, Hubbell M, Jairam P, Ambati B.Neovascular macular degeneration: A review of etiology, risk factors, and recent advances in research and therapy.Int J Mol Sci. 2021;22(3):1170. doi:10.3390/ijms22031170
DailyMed. National Institutes of Health.IZERVAY- avacincaptad pegol injection.
DailyMed. National Institutes of Health.SYFOVRE- pegcetacoplan injection, solution.
Thomas CJ, Mirza RG, Gill MK.Age-related macular degeneration.Med Clin North America. 2021;105(3):473-491. doi:10.1016/j.mcna.2021.01.003
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.Visual disabilities in the workplace and the Americans with disabilities act.
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