Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is one of the most common forms of vision loss, affecting mainly the elderly. It occurs when the delicate cells of the macula – the small, central part of the retina responsible for the centre of our field of vision - become damaged and stop working.

Symptoms:

AMD is not painful and never leads to total blindness because it is only the central vision that is affected. 

In the early stages of AMD, central vision may be blurred or distorted and things may look an unusual size or shape.

People with AMD may become sensitive to light or find it harder to distinguish colours.

The macula enables people to see fine detail so those with the advanced condition will often notice a blank patch or dark spot in the centre of their sight.

Patients with AMD gradually lose their vision, with a large black spot covering part of their visual field that progressively gets worse.

Causes: Ageing process of the body is responsible for this. And the degree of ARMD is depends person to person.  The cause of AMD is unknown but several factors appear to increase the risk. These include smoking, a high-fat diet and excessive sun exposure. Risk also increases with advancing age and may be more common in those with a family history of AMD.

Types:

There are two types of AMD: the ‘dry’ form and the more severe ‘wet’ form. Dry AMD is the more common, develops gradually over time and usually causes only mild loss of vision. The wet form accounts for only 10-15% of all AMD but the risk of sight loss is much greater.

Treatment:

There are few medical treatments for the disease. Coagulating laser therapy is the usual treatment for macular degeneration offered by ophthalmologists, but it does not work consistently and often produces harmful effects.