Macular degeneration

Age-related macular degeneration is a leading cause of vision loss in people age 50 and older. Our eye specialists check for signs of disease and help protect your vision.

What is macular degeneration?

Macular degeneration is an eye condition that causes vision loss. The macula is the center part of the retina (the layer of tissue inside the back of your eye).

Damage to the macula affects your ability to see fine details in the center of your field of vision. Your side (peripheral) vision remains intact.

Causes of macular degeneration

Age is the most common cause of macular degeneration. Many people develop the condition as they get older, usually after age 50. Other factors, such as your environment, genetics and health history, may also lead to macular degeneration.

Macular degeneration symptoms

Macular degeneration typically affects both eyes. Symptoms may start in just one eye first or affect both eyes at once.

The condition doesn’t cause pain, but it does impact your vision. For most people, it develops slowly, causing symptoms such as:

• A dark spot in the center of your field of vision
• Blurry vision
• Difficulty reading, especially small text
• Distorted or wavy vision

Macular degeneration types

There are two types of macular degeneration: dry and wet. The names refer to how macular damage develops in your eye.

Dry macular degeneration

This type occurs in about 90% of people with the condition. Cells in the macula break down and die over time.

Central vision loss develops slowly, often over many years. Sometimes dry macular degeneration can turn into wet macular degeneration.

Wet macular degeneration

This type occurs in about 10% of people with macular degeneration. Blood vessels grow abnormally in the macula, bleeding or leaking fluid.

Wet macular degeneration is more severe than the dry type. It usually affects just one eye at a time and causes central vision loss quickly – within days to weeks.

Macular degeneration diagnosis

An eye specialist will look at your retina to check for macular damage. Diagnosing macular degeneration early is critical for protecting your sight and slowing vision loss.

Your doctor may use techniques such as:

• Amsler grid test, which checks for vision changes using a grid pattern with a dot in the center
• Ophthalmoscopy, an exam of your eye using a light and special lenses
• Pupil dilation, which widens your pupils using special drops so your provider can see your retina better
• Retina imaging, which involves taking detailed pictures of the back of your eye

Macular degeneration risk factors

Things such as your health history and genetics can affect your chance of developing macular degeneration. You may face a higher risk based on your:

• Age: You are more likely to develop macular degeneration if you’re 50 or older. The disease especially affects people older than 70.
• Current eye health: Having dry macular degeneration puts you at risk for developing the wet form of disease. Also, if you have wet macular degeneration in one eye, you have an increased chance of developing it in your other eye.
• Family history: Having family members with the disease increases your risk.
• Health history: Smoking or having high blood pressure can put you at higher risk for macular degeneration.

Macular degeneration prevention

You can’t prevent macular degeneration with certainty. But you can take action to help catch vision changes and disease progression early, when treatment is most effective.

Make sure you:

• Get regular eye exams: Regular exams ensure that your doctor can identify eye problems early, even before you have symptoms.
• Check your vision at home: Keep an image of the Amsler grid at home and test each eye at least once a week. You can also check your vision by covering one eye at a time and looking at your normal surroundings.
• Ask about AREDS2: A dietary supplement called AREDS2 has been proven to reduce the risk of worsening vision loss in people with moderate to severe dry macular degeneration. Talk with your provider about whether you should take AREDS2.