Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) is a type of vision loss where there is distortion or absence of a central area of vision. Peripheral (side part) vision is usually not affected. AMD tends not to cause complete blindness.
AMD is most common in people aged 50 years and over. Most people affected by AMD can see well enough to be able to live independently, but have difficulty with tasks that require the ability to see in detail such as sewing, driving and reading. Recognizing the Face may be difficult too. There is no cure for AMD. Treatment includes occupational therapy to help people adapt to vision loss.
Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) occurs in the form of ‘dry’ and ‘wet’. In dry AMD, the most common form, light-sensitive cells in the macula are slowly damaged, resulting in blurred central vision in the eye. The exact cause of dry AMD is unknown, but conditions develop along with aging of the eye. In the ‘wet’ form, abnormal growth of blood vessels in the eye causes blood absorption and protein substances into light-sensitive cells (called photoreceptors) in the macula. This results in damage to the macula and also loss of vision. The wet form is a late / final stage condition.
- Cannot read books with little light intensity
- Can not see clearly when the light is lacking, for example a restaurant with a dim light
- When reading a book, the words in the book look blurry
- Difficulty in seeing and recognizing someone’s face
