Macular degeneration (AMD)

Damage to the macula: the part of your retina you use for sharp vision.

In short

In macular degeneration the macula, the part of the retina for sharp vision, is damaged.
The centre of your vision becomes blurred or distorted; you keep seeing at the edges.
The dry form progresses slowly over years. The wet form progresses fast and is treated with injections in the eye.
Smoking is the most important risk factor you can change yourself.
Check each eye separately with an Amsler grid.

Drusen in the macula, an early sign of macular degeneration Jmarchn, CC BY-SA 3.0. Via Wikimedia Commons.

Symptoms

Straight lines that wave or bend: door frames, tile joints, lines of text
A blurred or grey spot in the middle of your vision
Reading becomes hard while walking around the room is fine
In the wet form this happens quickly, in days to weeks; in the dry form over years

How it develops

The macula ages. In the dry form waste products build up under the retina. In the wet form new, leaking blood vessels grow under the macula. Smoking and heredity are the main risk factors.

Treatment

Examination of the macula, often with a scan (OCT) at the ophthalmologist.
The wet form is treated with injections in the eye; starting quickly saves vision.
There is no cure for the dry form; lifestyle and sometimes supplements slow it down.
Stopping smoking is the most important thing you can do yourself.
Self-check with an Amsler grid: daily, each eye separately.

When to get help the same day

Contact your GP or the out-of-hours GP service (huisartsenpost) straight away if you have:

Straight lines that start to wave within days
A spot in the middle of your vision that grows quickly
Suddenly less sharp vision in one eye
With known macular degeneration: any change you notice

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This page is a short summary and does not replace a consultation. Want to know how the eye works? See The eye.