Age-Related Macular Degeneration: Exams And Tests

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Exams and Tests

A doctor can usually detect age-related macular degeneration (AMD) with a regular eye exam. The doctor first will find out more about your symptoms, past eye problems, and other health conditions by asking you about your medical history.

Next, the doctor will test your central vision with a visual acuity test. During this test, you cover one eye and read letters on a wall chart away. Central vision gets worse over time in a person with AMD, and a visual acuity test can measure whether your vision has gotten worse since your last exam. The doctor may also test your visual field, which includes both your central vision and side (peripheral) vision.

Ophthalmoscopy allows the doctor to examine the inside of your eye (see a picture of macular degeneration ). Using a beam of light and a magnifying lens to view the inside of your eye, the doctor will examine your retina and macula for signs of AMD. The presence of bright, yellowish white deposits called drusen is one of the early signs of AMD. If you have wet AMD, the doctor may be able to see blood in part of the retina or a white or gray scar near the macula.

An Amsler grid test can also detect wet AMD. An Amsler grid is a series of straight lines that run up and down and left to right. The grid has a dot at the center. If you have wet AMD, the lines near the center dot will appear wavy or curved instead of straight, or you may see a blank spot or hole on part of the grid.

For more information on vision testing, see the topic Vision Tests.

If your doctor thinks that you may have wet AMD, you may also have a test called an eye angiogram to find out if abnormal blood vessels are growing beneath the macula. The test can also locate leaky blood vessels under the macula and help your doctor determine whether they can be treated.

If you have AMD and some loss of vision, your doctor may perform a low-vision evaluation to help find ways for you to make the most of your remaining vision and keep your quality of life.

Early Detection

Anyone older than 50 is at risk of developing age-related macular degeneration. Doctors screen for the disease during regular eye exams by looking for deposits called drusen and other changes in the macula caused by AMD.

Regular use of an Amsler grid can detect the progression of dry AMD to wet AMD. People who have dry AMD and those who have an increased risk for developing AMD should use the Amsler grid.

Last updated:	August 13, 2007
Author:	Robin Parks, MS
Reviewed By:	Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine, Carol L. Karp, MD - Ophthalmology
Editors:	Kathleen M. Ariss, MS, Pat Truman, MATC