6 Don’t lose sight of

Age-Related 

Macular

Degeneration

Information for people 

at risk

What can you do to 

protect your vision? 

The risk of losing vision from AMD can be 

lowered by doing the following:

• Have a comprehensive dilated eye exam at 

least once a year if you are age 60 or older.

• Exercise regularly and control your weight.

• Quit smoking.

• Eat more leafy green vegetables and fish.

• Keep your blood pressure normal.

• Keep your cholesterol levels low.

For more information, contact—

National Eye Institute

National Institutes of Health

2020@nei.nih.gov

www.nei.nih.gov

NIH . . . Turning Discovery Into Health®

NIH Publication No. 12-3462 (revised 2012)
What is age-related 

macular degeneration 

(AMD)? 

AMD is a leading cause of blindness in the 

United States. The macula, which is in the back 

of the eye, controls our sharp, central vision. For 

some people with AMD, the macula gets weak 

slowly, with gradual vision loss, while for others 

with AMD, the growth of abnormal blood 

vessels causing blood and fluid leakage can lead 

to sudden vision loss in one or both eyes. 

1 3

5

2 Who is most likely 

to get AMD? 

People over the age of 60 have a higher chance 

of getting AMD. The chances get even higher as 

you get older. You also have a higher chance if 

you are White, smoke, are overweight, or have 

a family history of AMD.

What are the 

symptoms of AMD? 

People with early AMD may not notice much 

change in their vision, especially if the disease 

only affects one eye. There may be some 

blurriness that might improve with brighter 

light. As AMD gets worse, people may find it 

harder to see faces or words in a book. People 

with late AMD may notice that straight lines 

appear crooked and more of their central 

vision is lost.

Normal vision.

A scene as it might be viewed by a 

person with age-related macular 

degeneration.

How do you know 

if you have AMD? 

An eye care professional can tell if you have 

AMD by giving you a comprehensive dilated 

eye exam. During the exam, drops are placed 

in your eyes to widen, or dilate, the pupils. 

Then a special lens is used to look at the 

retina for damage. The retina is the layer of 

tissue in the back of the eye that is sensitive 

to light. After the exam, your vision may be 

blurry for a period of hours. The doctor may 

also give you an Amsler grid to look at every 

day. On the Amsler grid, people with normal 

vision will see straight black lines with a dot 

in the center. But those with later stages of 

AMD will see wavy or blurry lines and some 

dark spots in the middle. If any of these tests 

show problems in a person’s central vision, 

the doctor may order a test that can show 

if there are leaking blood vessels around 

the macula. 

How is AMD treated?

AMD cannot be cured, but it can be treated 

to keep it from getting worse. In some cases, 

people’s vision can get better. Catching AMD 

early is important to protect your eyesight. 

In the early stage of AMD, treatments 

can include eating better and take more 

vitamins. Talk to your eye care professional 

about the best vitamins for you. If abnormal 

blood vessels develop, you may require 

drugs in the eye or laser surgery to help 

stop the growth of abnormal blood vessels 4 in the retina.