Condition

Age-related macular degeneration

Medical reviewer Mr Mohamed Mohyudin· Last recorded site review

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References for this section: NHS — Age-related macular degenerationNational Eye Institute - Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD)

Your next step →

Understand it visually

Explore the diagram

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How the eye works

The macula is a small area near the centre of the retina. It provides the detailed central vision used for reading and recognising faces.

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What changes

Age-related macular degeneration affects the macula. Central details may become distorted or blurred; the pattern and progression vary between people.

  1. Lens
  2. Retina
  3. Optic nerve

Simplified educational diagram. It does not show what every person sees or replace an eye examination.

Sources for this information

What is AMD — and who should skip this page?

The macula is the central patch of retina that gives sharp, colour, straight-ahead vision. AMD is common with age. It does not usually cause a painful red eye or a curtain from the side. Skip this page for those patterns — they are emergencies until proven otherwise.

Dry AMD involves thinning and waste deposits (drusen) under the retina. Wet AMD involves abnormal new vessels that leak fluid or blood. You can have dry AMD in both eyes, or wet in one eye and dry in the other.

We do not invent a percentage of people who ‘go blind’. Severe AMD can take central reading vision; most people keep enough side vision to walk around a familiar room. That is still life-changing. It is not the same as a cataract, which surgery can remove.

Blurred visionDistorted vision

References for this section: NHS — Age-related macular degenerationNational Eye Institute - Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD)

What symptoms are typical — and what is not AMD?

Typical dry AMD: needing more light to read, words that look slightly washed, and a gradual difficulty with faces. Typical wet AMD: a sudden or rapidly worsening grey patch, distortion (straight lines looking bent), or a central blur in one eye. Not typical: a dark curtain from the edge, a painful red eye, or a sudden total black-out — treat those as emergencies.

  • Typical: gradual central blur or need for brighter light
  • Typical of wet AMD: new distortion or a rapid central grey patch
  • Not typical: side-vision curtain, flashes with a floater shower — retinal emergency
  • Not typical: painful red eye with nausea — think acute glaucoma until examined

Dry versus wet — goals of care, not a self-test

TypeUsual paceUsual first approachWhat ‘urgent’ looks like
Dry (atrophic)Months to yearsMonitoring, smoking cessation, diet, sometimes AREDS2-style supplements if advisedSudden new distortion — may have converted to wet
Wet (neovascular)Days to weeks if untreatedUrgent clinic; anti-VEGF injections in many pathwaysNew central blur, distortion or a grey patch in one eye

References for this section: NHS — Age-related macular degenerationNational Eye Institute - Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD)

How is AMD diagnosed?

An eye professional examines the macula, often with dilated drops and OCT scans that show fluid or thinning. Fluorescein angiography is sometimes used for wet AMD. An Amsler grid can help you notice new distortion at home — it does not replace an examination, and a ‘normal’ grid does not rule out other emergencies.

If one eye is already poor, the other eye does more work. New symptoms in the ‘good’ eye are a reason to be seen promptly even if you have lived with dry AMD for years.

References for this section: NHS — Age-related macular degenerationNational Eye Institute - Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD)

What treatments exist — and who should not expect a miracle drop?

There is no drop that reverses dry AMD. Stopping smoking is the most useful personal step we can name without inventing a risk percentage. A Mediterranean-style diet and green leafy vegetables are commonly advised; we do not sell supplements. AREDS2-type formulas are for selected intermediate dry AMD after a clinician confirms you fit the evidence — they are not sweets for every reader over 60.

Wet AMD is often treated with repeated anti-VEGF injections into the eye. The aim is to dry the leak and protect remaining central vision. How many injections you need is individual. We do not publish a clinic’s ‘success rate’.

Low-vision rehabilitation, brighter lighting, magnifiers and electronic aids help when central vision is already reduced. Cataract surgery can still help some people with AMD if the lens is also cloudy — that is a joint clinical decision, not a reason to skip macular treatment.

Intravitreal injectionsCataracts (not the same disease)

References for this section: NHS — Age-related macular degenerationNational Eye Institute - Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD)

When is a macular change an emergency?

New distortion, a sudden central grey patch, or a rapid drop in reading vision in one eye needs urgent assessment the same day or as your local wet-AMD pathway instructs — do not wait for a routine six-month slot. A curtain of side vision, flashes with a shower of floaters, or sudden painless total loss is a different emergency again.

What does sudden vision loss mean?Are eye floaters dangerous?

Practical guides

Low vision supportMagnifiers, lighting, daily living aids and registering for sight-loss support when glasses are not enough.Routine eye examsHow often to have your eyes checked, what happens at an exam, and when to see an optician versus an ophthalmologist.

Treatments & Surgery

Eye injections (intravitreal)Injections of medicine into the eye to treat retinal conditions such as wet AMD and diabetic eye disease.VitrectomyKeyhole surgery to remove the gel inside the eye, used to treat retinal and other back-of-eye problems.

Frequently asked questions

Will I go completely blind with AMD?

AMD mainly affects central vision. Side vision is usually kept, so complete darkness is uncommon. Central loss can still stop reading and recognising faces.

Do glasses fix AMD?

Glasses cannot repair a damaged macula. Updated glasses and brighter light can still help remaining vision and any cataract.

Are injections painful?

The eye is numbed. Most people feel pressure more than sharp pain. Tell the team if you are very anxious — they can plan around that.

Should I take eye vitamins?

Only if a clinician has confirmed you fit the group studied in AREDS2-style evidence. Random high-dose vitamins are not a substitute for stopping smoking or for urgent wet-AMD care.

Is AMD the same as a cataract?

No. A cataract is a cloudy lens and can be replaced. AMD is retinal. You can have both. Surgery does not cure AMD.

Your next step

Take this to your appointment

Contact an eye-care professional urgently if straight lines newly look wavy or you develop a new central blur or blank spot. Keep scheduled reviews and follow your own monitoring plan.

  • Do I have dry or wet AMD, and which eye is affected?
  • Which changes should I report immediately, and to whom?
  • Would treatment, specific supplements or low-vision support help in my case?
  • How should I monitor my vision between appointments?
Patient resourcesFind care where you live →

Sudden loss of sight, severe eye pain or a dark curtain across vision needs immediate assessment. Do not wait to complete a worksheet.

Sources for this information

These references support the information on this page. Follow the linked source for its full context.