What Is AMD?

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is an eye condition that affects the back of your eye, called the retina. At the center of the retina is the macula. The macula lets you see objects straight ahead, which is called central vision. AMD damages the macula, which causes you to lose your central vision.

Diagram of the Eye

Courtesy of Eyetech Inc

AMD is the #1 cause of severe vision loss in people over age 60.  Today, at least 15 million people in the United States have this health problem.

AMD is a progressive condition that can be detected long before vision loss occurs. The early stages of AMD have no noticeable symptoms. The stages may progress slowly and don’t always result in severe vision loss. Your eye doctor can diagnose early stages with a simple eye examination.

Forms of AMD

There are two forms of age-related macular degeneration (AMD):

• Dry AMD 
• Wet AMD

Dry AMD

Dry AMD is the most common form of AMD, representing approximately 90% of all AMD cases. However, dry AMD accounts for only 10% of the severe vision loss associated with macular degeneration. Dry AMD is characterized by development of yellow-white deposits underneath your retina, known as drusen, and can also be determined by deterioration of your retina. There is no generally accepted treatment for dry AMD, although vitamins, antioxidants and zinc supplements may slow its progression. Over time, dry AMD cases often develop into wet macular degeneration.

Wet AMD

In the normal eye, blood vessels help keep the eye healthy.  Wet AMD occurs when abnormal blood vessels start to grow under the center of your retina. These new blood vessels may be very fragile and often leak blood and fluid. The blood and fluid can damage your macula or create a scar on your retina, causing vision problems. Damage to the macula can occur rapidly, causing a noticeable blurring or even loss of central vision. The vision loss may be permanent, because abnormal blood vessels and scar tissue are actually destroying normal retina tissue. Once lost, these light-sensitive cells in your retina cannot be replaced.

It is estimated that about 1.6 million people in the United States currently have wet AMD, with 200,000 new cases per year. Physicians classify wet AMD into different types: predominantly classic, minimally classic, and occult.  Regardless of which type of wet AMD you have, only your eye doctor can determine what treatment may be right for you.

Learn more about the SYMPTOMS OF AMD

 

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