Macular Week 2017: AMD Symptoms and Types

This week (26^th June – 2^nd July 2017) is Macular Week and the theme this year is Smoking and Sight Loss. Find out more about Macular Week and how you can get involved to help raise awareness of the link between smoking about sight loss.Macular Week is organised by the Macular Society to help inform people about macular disease, how it can affect you or someone you know, and how you can find the help and support you need if you have it. The Macular Society organise events to raise aware, fundraisers to grow funds and support research to help us learn more.

What is the Macular?

The macular is the part of the eye which is responsible for your central vision. It’s located towards the back of your eye.Macular disease covers a few different conditions that impact the retina, but the most common is called Age-Related Macular Degeneration.

What is Age-Related Macular Degeneration?

Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) results in loss of central vision, typically in both eyes. This is because the macular isn’t working as it should be, causing what you see when you look directly ahead to become more and more blurry as the condition deteriorates.AMD usually gradually worsens over a longer period of time, but sometimes it can get worse quite quickly. It doesn’t affect the peripheral vision and won’t cause total blindness.

Symptoms of Age-Related Macular Degeneration

As Age-Related Macular Degeneration doesn’t cause any pain, most people who have it don’t realise it until it starts to impact their vision.Usually blurred central vision is what many with the condition will first notice. This can become obvious in situations such as driving and reading as you begin to lose details as you look directly ahead. Also, some people start to struggle to distinguish faces against a background as the sharpness of your vision decreases. Sometimes a distortion in the centre of the vision can also indicate AMD, which can become apparent when reading or writing.

Types of Age-related Macular Degeneration

There are two main types of Age-Related Macular Degeneration which can affect people.

Dry AMD

Dry Age-Related Macular Degeneration is typically a slow-developing type of AMD and can take between five and ten years before it begins to affect your vision. Dry AMD can also affect just one eye, and so the healthy eye usually compensates for the loss of vision in the other eye. This means that it could take longer before you notice any deficiency in your sight.Things to watch out for:

• Blurry text
• A dullness in colours
• A bright light is needed when reading
• It can be difficult to recognise faces
• A haziness in vision

If you’re experiencing any of the above, make an appointment with an optometrist who will be able to look further into your symptoms to learn what the cause of the problems is.

Wet AMD

1 in 10 people with Dry AMD go on to develop Wet AMD. A strong indicator that you’ve got Wet AMD is a rapid deterioration in your central vision.Things to watch out for:

• Blind spots (which grow larger the longer they’re left)
• Hallucinations (these can come in the form of shapes/animals/people)
• Distortions (straight lines that seem wavy)

These symptoms, if left untreated, can worsen. It’s important that if you notice any of the above, you make an emergency appointment with an optometrist as soon as you can.

Supporting people with AMD

Part of the work that the Macular Society carry out is to raise awareness not only of these conditions, but also of the complications that these conditions can cause. Age-Related Macular Degeneration and, more specifically Wet AMD, has the potential to cause further issues.

• Depression/Anxiety

Some people diagnosed with AMD feel low as they can struggle to cope with the reduction in their vision and how this affects their everyday lives. Tasks such as reading suddenly become frustratingly difficult and this can lead to a negative emotional impact. Macular Society run support groups to help anyone feeling this way as a result of their AMD, and local GPs can discuss other services such as counselling to help with this.

• Visual Hallucinations

These hallucinations are known as Charles Bonnet Syndrome and can affect 1 in every 10 people with AMD. Sometimes, when AMD stops the visual stimulations you’re used to, the brain compensates by creating images of things that aren’t really there. This can be scary, not because the hallucinations show frightening images, but because you can feel out of control. Many people who suffer from hallucinations don’t tell their GP because they’re worried it may be a sign of a mental condition. However, by not consulting a GP you may find it more difficult to cope. Typically, the hallucinations only last 18 months but make sure you talk to a healthcare professional about how best to deal with them.

• Driving Ability

Find out more

AMD can affect driving and the DVLA need to be informed if you’ve been diagnosed with the condition. This doesn’t mean that you definitely won’t be able to drive, but if you’re AMD impacts your vision enough to make you unsafe on the roads then it’s possible you won’t be able to drive. The DVLA have a series of tests which can determine this.Age-Related Macular Degeneration currently has no cure, but there’s plenty of advice, support and information around to help you carry on with everyday life. If you’d like to make an appointment with one of our experienced optometrists for an eye examination, contact us today.