Signs and symptoms of AMD—What to look for
With early AMD, you may not notice any change to your vision at all. Dry macular degeneration usually develops slowly over time with slow-progressing symptoms. But wet AMD usually develops quickly, leaving people with vision loss that is noticed suddenly. Signs and symptoms can vary from person to person and depend on the type of AMD you have.
Some advanced dry AMD symptoms may include:
- The need for brighter light when doing close work
- Difficulty adapting to low light levels
- Print appears more and more blurry (ie, newspapers, magazines, books)
- Difficulty driving
- Colors appear less bright
- Difficulty recognizing faces
- Overall haziness of vision
- A blind spot in the center of your vision
- The need to scan an object using your peripheral vision to get a complete picture
Wet AMD symptoms may progress more rapidly and may include:
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Visual distortions such as: | |
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– | Straight lines or faces appearing wavy |
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– | Doorways seeming to be crooked |
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– | Objects appearing smaller or farther away |
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General decrease in central vision | |
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A central blurry or blind spot | |
If you are aged 50 years or older, you should have regular eye exams. And, if you notice any change in your vision, you should see an eye doctor immediately. A good way to monitor your vision is to use a simple tool called an Amsler grid. You should use this tool once a week. Keep in mind that it is important to test each eye separately because a good eye can compensate for a bad eye.
To download an Amsler grid, click here.
