Age Related Macular Degeneration

Age related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of blindness in people aged over 60. Your central vision is largely affected causing distortion and the inability of see letters properly when reading.

Symptoms

There are various forms of AMD, but usually the most obvious symptoms are; blurred vision, shadows or missing areas of vision and distorted vision

Other symptoms may include, difficulty detecting varying shades of colours particularly telling the difference between dark colours, or light from other lights. Slow adjustment to dark conditions after exposure to bright light may also occur.

The macula damage leads to loss of central vision, which is the most important part for reading, driving and independent living.

Causes

The main factors that contribute to the onset of macular degeneration are your age, a family history of macular degeneration and smoking.

At Young Eyes, we have the latest equipment available to assess and detect early changes in the macula. We recommend OCT scans and retinal imaging where appropriate. If you experience any symptoms or are in a high risk category the best course of action is to have a comprehensive eye test.