Understanding AMD
Daily symptoms.
Age-related macular degeneration affects the macula, the central area of the retina. The leading cause of blindness in the US over age 65, it has two forms: dry (80% of cases, slow) and wet (20%, faster but treatable with anti-VEGF injections). Peripheral vision remains intact, but reading a letter, recognizing a face, or telling the time becomes impossible. Stargardt disease is the juvenile form.
Reading no longer possible
Letters at the center of your gaze fade or blur. Reading a letter, a book, or a label becomes exhausting.
Faces become indistinct
A silhouette is perceived, but the facial features disappear. Recognizing a loved one in the street or across the table becomes difficult.
Straight lines bend
Metamorphopsia distorts edges: the side of a door, the frame of a window, the bars of a fence appear wavy.
Central spot (scotoma)
At an advanced stage, a dark or blurry spot permanently masks the center of vision. Contrast drops, colors fade.