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In this Article

• What is age-related macular degeneration?
• Where is the macula?
• What is wet AMD?
• What is dry AMD?
• What are drusen?
• Which is more common—the dry form or the wet form?
• Can the dry form turn into the wet form?
• The dry form has early and intermediate stages. Does the wet form have similar stages?
• Can advanced AMD be either the dry form or the wet form?
• Who is at risk for AMD?
• Can my lifestyle make a difference?
• What are the symptoms?
• How is AMD detected?
• How is wet AMD treated?
• How is dry AMD treated?
• Age-related eye disease study (AREDS)
• How can I take care of my vision now that I have AMD?
• What can I do if I have already lost some vision from AMD?
• What research is being done?

What are drusen?

Drusen are yellow deposits under the retina. They often are found in people over age 60. Your eye care professional can detect drusen during a comprehensive dilated eye exam.

Drusen alone do not usually cause vision loss. In fact, scientists are unclear about the connection between drusen and AMD. They do know that an increase in the size or number of drusen raises a person's risk of developing either advanced dry AMD or wet AMD. These changes can cause serious vision loss.

Dry AMD has three stages, all of which may occur in one or both eyes:

1. Early AMD. People with early AMD have either several small drusen or a few medium-sized drusen. At this stage, there are no symptoms and no vision loss.



2. Intermediate AMD. People with intermediate AMD have either many medium-sized drusen or one or more large drusen. Some people see a blurred spot in the center of their vision. More light may be needed for reading and other tasks.



3. Advanced Dry AMD. In addition to drusen, people with advanced dry AMD have a breakdown of light-sensitive cells and supporting tissue in the central retinal area. This breakdown can cause a blurred spot in the center of your vision. Over time, the blurred spot may get bigger and darker, taking more of your central vision. You may have difficulty reading or recognizing faces until they are very close to you.

If you have vision loss from dry AMD in one eye only, you may not notice any changes in your overall vision. With the other eye seeing clearly, you still can drive, read, and see fine details. You may notice changes in your vision only if AMD affects both eyes. If blurriness occurs in your vision, see an eye care professional for a comprehensive dilated eye exam.

Ninety percent of all people with AMD have this type. Scientists are still not sure what causes dry AMD.