Age-related macular degeneration, commonly referred to as AMD, occurs when a person’s macula deteriorates. The macula is a tiny, nerve-rich area at the back of the eye, the most sensitive portion of the retina. The macula sends the images you see to your brain.
What is Age-Related Macular Degeneration?
AMD Alliance International, a non-profit organization based in Toronto that strives to bring knowledge and assistance to AMD sufferers, explains it best, “One key identifier for AMD is the collection of small, round, white-yellow, fatty deposits called drusen in the central part of the retina, the macula. Drusen accumulate in the tissue beneath the macula and the macula thins and dries out. The amount of vision loss is related to the location and amount of macular thinning caused by the drusen.”
Age-Related Macular Degeneration Symptoms
As the macula breaks down, vision worsens. Central vision is affected while peripheral vision usually remains the same. Things become blurry and black areas and distortion are common. It may be difficult to drive, read, and see the faces of people in front of you. Colours can be tough to distinguish. Straight lines can appear wavy. The one plus is that there is no pain with AMD.
Symptoms vary between people and AMD is harder to detect when only one eye is affected. When both eyes have macular degeneration, symptoms are more obvious.
Two Types of AMD
There are two types of AMD: wet and dry. Dry AMD accounts for 85% – 90% of all cases of the disease. Wet AMD is a more brutal form and accounts for 90% of severe vision loss from AMD:
- Dry AMD:As this is the mildest form of AMD, it is a bonus that this is what the majority of sufferers have. Symptoms develop gradually over time as the macula’s tissue cells slowly degenerate. There is currently no medical treatment for this form of AMD although smokers are encouraged to stop lighting up and a vitamin regimen is encouraged. This does not fully stop the AMD or reverse any vision loss unfortunately.
Dry AMD can develop into the wet form so it is essential to have regular eye examinations.
- Wet AMD: Wet AMD occurs when abnormal blood vessels grow under the macula and leak fluid or bleed into the tissue at the back of the macula and a blister forms. The scar tissue from the blister can damage the macula and leads to loss of central vision. The symptoms and treatments depend on the location of the blood vessel leakages. Unfortunately no treatment will restore lost vision and there is no guarantee that future vision loss can be prevented.
What Causes AMD?
The reasons why a macular deteriorates is unknown but some things may increase a person’s risk of having AMD:
- genetics - a family history of macular degeneration
- being female
- getting older
- having a light skin tone
- extensive exposure to UV
- high blood pressure
- smoking
Smoking + Genetics = Increased Risk of AMD
Wanda Hamilton, the Executive Director of AMD Alliance International, clarifies that smoking and genetics play the greatest role in determining if you may be at risk of developing AMD. “If you have a particular gene make-up and you smoke, you could be up to 144 times more likely to get AMD. If you have other genes and you smoke, you could be up to seven times more likely than non-smokers to get the disease.”
Seniors Only?
Wanda Hamilton says an exact figure of younger AMD sufferers is not known. “It is estimated to be approximately 10%. It’s far less common but the estimate is 10% of people with AMD are under the age of 50.”
Diagnostic TestsIf you think you may have AMD, should you see your doctor, an optometrist, or an ophthalmologist?
Eye care professionals have a number of tests they use to diagnose AMD. Besides the eye charts we are all familiar with, they perform dilated eye exams, ophthalmoscopies, fluorescein angiograthies, and use amsler grids.
Importance of Early Detection
Wanda Hamilton says there are two main reasons to be vigilant about getting regular eye exams in order to detect AMD as early as possible, “One reason is that there are modifiable risk factors. If you are detected early, we don’t know if it’s possible to delay the progression of the disease by changing to a healthy lifestyle. It might be possible. The same with intermediate AMD. We do know that certain vitamin supplementation can delay the progression so if you have intermediate AMD and detect it in time, you can take measures to mitigate your risk. The second reason is that there may be a treatment. If you had vision loss and you have the AMD treated early, you have the best possible outcome. If you leave it too late, you are less responsive to treatment.”
Reduce Your Risk
There is nothing you can do to prevent AMD but there are some things you can do to minimize your risk of developing the disease:
- Don’t smoke.
- Always wear sunglasses, even on cloudy days and in the winter. Decrease your exposure to the sun.
- Keep your blood pressure and cholesterol at the proper level.
- Keep your weight at a healthy level.
- Consume lots of fruits and vegetables, especially green, leafy ones.
- Reduce your consumption of junk food, especially processed foods.
- Eat two or more servings of fish high in omega 3 every week.
- Have regular eye exams; early stage AMD can be detected even if you have no symptoms and you can minimize the possibility of vision loss.
- Living a healthy lifestyle and lifelong UV protection are essential to reducing your risk of developing AMD.
It is hoped that future treatments will be able to possibly stop or reverse the early stages of dry AMD before it goes any further. There are promising new treatments on the horizon.
Toby Welch - Toby is a full-time freelance writer who specializes in magazine articles, online writing, e-books, and manuscript editing.
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