Age-Related Macular Degeneration: Symptoms

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Symptoms

Dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and wet age-related macular degeneration both cause vision loss and may produce similar symptoms:

• Central vision becomes dim, fuzzy, or less sharp.
• Reading requires more light than in the past.
• You find it harder to see people's faces clearly.
• Objects appear distorted or smaller than they really are.
• A new blank or blind spot develops in your central field of vision.
• Straight lines begin to appear wavy or curved. This is usually the first symptom of wet AMD.
• You have a loss of central vision that does not go away or becomes worse over time. The loss may be severe and rapid if you have wet AMD.

The symptoms of wet and dry AMD differ in two important ways:

Rate of development.

• Dry AMD happens slowly. Vision changes caused by dry AMD may be so slow and gradual that you do not notice them. You may have the disease for several years before it affects your ability to read, drive, and do everyday activities. If you have AMD in only one eye, you may not notice minor vision changes because your unaffected eye automatically makes up for vision problems in your other eye.
• Wet AMD happens suddenly. Symptoms caused by wet AMD tend to appear suddenly and get worse rapidly.

Severity.

• Dry AMD symptoms are usually mild at first. Later, the symptoms can be more severe.
• Wet AMD tends to cause more severe vision changes and vision loss.

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