As people age, it's common to experience eye problems. Many who have never needed glasses suddenly find them necessary for reading, and others who have worn glasses for years may need a stronger prescription. While this is often simply a result of the aging process, you should be aware of the symptoms and effects of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). More than one-and-one-half million people in the United States have AMD.* It is the most common cause of severe vision loss in people age 65 and older.**

Your Retina At Risk

  The macula is located in the middle of the retina and is responsible for providing sight in the center of our field of vision. This sharp, straight-ahead vision is necessary for driving, reading, recognizing faces and doing close work, such as sewing. Age-related macular degeneration affects the macula, causing patients to lose vision in the center of their field of vision. There are two kinds of AMD:

• Dry macular degeneration is the most common, accounting for 90 percent of all AMD cases. It occurs as the macula tissue ages and thins. This form develops slowly and usually causes only mild vision loss. 
• Wet macular degeneration represents a bigger threat to vision but it only makes up 10% of the cases. In wet macular degeneration, new blood vessels grow behind the retina. The new vessels are weak and break easily, leaking blood and fluid that damage the macula. Eventually scar tissue forms, further impairing vision. Wet AMD is responsible for 90% of the severe vision loss the general public associates with macular degeneration. 

Be Alert For Symptoms

  AMD is most common in people age 65 and over, although it can appear in people in their 40s and 50s. AMD often runs in families as well. The symptoms include:

• Blurry or fuzzy vision.
• Straight lines, such as sentences on a page, will appear wavy.
• A dark or empty area in the center of your field of vision.
• The cause of macular degeneration is unknown and there is currently no cure for it. Your ophthalmologist's goal will be to help you see better and stabilize the condition. For wet AMD, a laser treatment may be used in some cases to remove the abnormal blood vessels. It works best when these vessels haven't grown under the macula.

Hope For The Future

  Research is currently underway for both dry and wet forms of the disease, which leads ophthalmologists to be optimistic about being able to help patients in the future.

  The good news is that neither wet nor dry AMD causes total blindness. While AMD affects straight-ahead vision, it doesn't affect peripheral vision. With the help of low-vision aids, usually some kind of magnifying glass with a bright light, those affected can still lead normal, independent lives. If you experience symptoms of AMD in one or both eyes, schedule an appointment with your ophthalmologist immediately.