Wet AMD occurs when new blood vessels behind the retina grow toward the macula. New blood vessels are very fragile and often leak fluid and blood under the macula. This rapidly deteriorates the macula and leads to rapid loss of central vision. AMD can occur in middle-aged people but the risk increases with age. According to studies, women have a greater risk factor of getting AMD than men.
Smoking also increases the risk, as does a family history of the disease.
AMD, whether it be wet or dry, is not painful. With dry AMD, the vision is sometimes slightly blurred. A person will need more light for reading and other tasks that require the use of central vision. Recognizing people may be almost impossible until they are very close to you. As dry AMD deteriorates the central vision, you may see a blurred spot.