Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) may not present with any symptoms in its early stages. Once it’s more advanced, you might notice a blurry area in the center of your vision or find it hard to perform certain activities like reading or cooking.

AMD is an eye condition characterized by blurry vision and progressive vision loss. It occurs when the process of aging damages the part of the eye called the macula, which controls straight-ahead vision.

AMD is common among older adults, particularly over age 60, and is the leading cause of vision loss in older adults. It accounts for 8.7% of all types of blindness worldwide. The condition doesn’t cause full blindness, but it can make it very hard or impossible to conduct certain activities such as:

  • seeing faces
  • driving
  • reading
  • cooking
  • fixing things around the house

This article will look at the symptoms of AMD and how to treat it.

Sometimes, you may find out you have AMD after a routine eye test before you experience any symptoms. Once you’re experiencing symptoms, you may notice a blurry or distorted area in the center of your vision, while your peripheral vision remains unaffected. You could experience this symptom in one or both of your eyes.

It’s important to note that symptoms of AMD depend on the stage and type of AMD.

Types and stages of AMD

There are two types of AMD:

  • Dry AMD: This is when the macula gets thinner with age. Dry AMD has three stages and progresses over the years. There’s no treatment for late-stage dry AMD, but if you have dry late-stage AMD in only one eye, you can take certain steps to protect your other eye.
  • Wet AMD: This is a less common type of AMD where vision loss happens faster. Wet AMD is always late stage, but treatment options are available.

Dry AMD is split into three stages, and symptoms are typically different depending on each stage:

  • Early dry eye stage: You would typically not experience any symptoms in this initial stage of the disease.
  • Intermediate dry eye stage: Some people might still not experience any symptoms at this stage. If you do experience symptoms, you might notice a slight blurry area in the center of your vision, which can impair your ability to see very fine details. You might also have some difficulty seeing things in dim lighting or darker environments. You may also find it harder transitioning from a low-light environment to a brighter one, or performing certain activities like reading in either environment. At this stage, your eyes may be more sensitive to the light, and you might also notice a decrease in the brightness and intensity of colors, or that straight lines are slightly warped.
  • Late dry eye stage: At this stage, many people will start noticing that straight lines are now distorted, crooked, or warped. The central blurriness in your vision may now be more pronounced. This blurriness may get bigger, and you may see blank spots too. If you were already experiencing any of the symptoms mentioned in the intermediate dry eye stage, these would typically progress or worsen. You might lose central vision completely.

The table below summarizes the symptoms you may experience at each stage of the disease:

SymptomsEarly stage Intermediate stageLate stage
no symptoms yesmaybeno
central blurrinessnoyesyes
blank spotsnoyesyes
central vision lossnomaybeyes
straight lines appear warpednoyesyes
difficulty seeing things in the darknoyesyes
sensitivity to lightnoyesyes
central blurrinessnoyesyes

Some FDA-approved medications are available to slow the progression of the disease. These include:

These injections are available for dry AMD. Healthcare professionals inject these drugs into the eye cavity every 2 months. These medications can slow the progression of the disease, but they don’t cure or improve existing vision loss.

For wet AMD, the following treatments are available:

  • Anti-VEGF injections: These injections stop bleeding from the vessels at the back of the eye. At first, a healthcare professional might administer this once a month, and then recommend it based on your symptoms and progression of your condition. They use a very small needle to inject the medication into the eye.
  • Photodynamic therapy (PDT): Healthcare professionals might recommend this alongside the injections to help stop vision loss. They’ll use a type of laser to break down the blood vessels in your eye that are causing vision loss.

There’s ongoing research into a new treatment for AMD. No medical treatment is currently available to reverse vision loss due to AMD, but lifestyle modifications can provide some help for people with the condition. These include:

  • visual aids such as magnifying glasses
  • changes you can make to your home, such as brighter lighting
  • software and mobile apps that can make computers and phones easier to navigate

Reach out to a doctor or specialist if you have any questions or concerns about the condition, or if you’re experiencing any symptoms.

AMD is a condition where central vision is slowly getting worse. It’s a progressive condition that currently has no cure, but treatments and life adjustments are available to slow progression and ease symptoms.

Symptoms may not be noticeable in early stages, but as the condition progresses, you might begin to experience central vision blurriness, sensitivity to light, or a decrease in color brightness.

Reach out to a doctor if you’re experiencing any symptoms or you’re concerned about vision loss.