The most important thing you can do to detect the early stages of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is to get an eye exam from an ophthalmologist. An early sign of macular degeneration is drusen, small yellow deposits under the retina, which your doctor will look for during the exam. You are unlikely to have any symptoms, but your ophthalmologist can see these deposits and diagnose macular degeneration long before any vision loss has occurred. If you are experiencing any age-related macular degeneration symptoms, you may already be in the later stages. If you have any of these symptoms, it is important to make an appointment with your eye doctor to check your vision.
Your ophthalmologist may also ask you to look at an Amsler grid, or a traditional eye chart. If your doctor suspects you have the wet form of macular degeneration, you could undergo a procedure called fluorescein angiography. In this procedure a dye called fluorescein is injected into your arm. Photographs are taken to show the movement of the dye as it reaches your eye and passes through blood vessels of the retina. If there are new vessels leaking fluid or blood, the photographs will show their exact location and type. This is not a treatment for macular degeneration, but it helps the doctor determine if you have AMD and which treatment is right for you.
Protect your vision by visiting your eye doctor regularly. Early detection and treatment of macular degeneration can delay or reduce the severity of the disease. Some eye care providers can only prescribe corrective eyeglasses, so you should see a medical eye doctor (also known as an ophthalmologist) for diagnosis and treatment of eye conditions. If you don't have an ophthalmologist, you can find one near you with the Eye Doctor Finder.
Signs of Age-Related Macular Degeneration You May Be Able to Detect Yourself
You may be able to detect some of the symptoms of age-related macular degeneration yourself simply by looking around your home. You will need to take a few minutes to look at your surroundings first with ONE EYE COVERED, and then with the other eye covered. It is important to cover one eye because if you have macular degeneration in one eye, the other may compensate so you won't notice any difference in your vision. If you do this once a week, you may be able to detect wet macular degeneration early enough to benefit from treatment. It is important to see an eye doctor immediately if you notice any changes in your vision. Only your doctor can tell for sure if you have macular degeneration, or some other eye condition.
Symptoms of age-related macular degeneration may include the following:
Other signs to look for include a noticeable change in your vision over a short period of time, or difficulty reading text that you could previously read. If you notice any of these signs, contact your eye doctor for an immediate appointment. The earlier you detect wet AMD, the better your chances of preserving your vision.
You may be able to detect age-related macular degeneration by using an Amsler grid, which is provided below. Again, you need to cover one eye before looking at the center of the grid. Then repeat by closing or covering the other eye. If the straight lines in the grid appear wavy, or some lines are missing from the checkerboard pattern, you should contact your eye doctor immediately for an examination.
Amsler grid
Open a printer-friendly version of the Amsler grid.
