AMD Awareness Month: How do you know if you have it?

What is age-related macular degeneration?

Nearly 1.5 million people in the UK suffer with macular disease, and 600,000 of these people have age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The number of people suffering with AMD is actually higher than the combined amount of people dealing with dry eye and glaucoma. The total number of people with AMD is expected to double by 2050, with 288 million predicted cases worldwide by 2040. As February is AMD Awareness Month, when better to have a look at what the symptoms and risk factors are, and how you can slow the progression of it?

AMD is a disease affecting the macula. This is the part of your eye which is responsible for your central vision, colour vision and for how well you see fine detail. Any impairment of your central vision can be particularly scary as it can stop you from reading well, recognising faces, and being able to carry out simple day-to-day tasks. Because of this, AMD can greatly impact your independence and confidence. However, AMD does not affect your peripheral vision, so you should still be able to rely on that, even during the later stages of AMD when your central vision has deteriorated.

There are two types of AMD; wet and dry. You can read about these in further detail in a previous blog post of ours which discusses the differences between the two variations of the condition. Today, to mark the start of AMD Awareness Month, we’re going to be looking at the symptoms of AMD, the risk factors, and how you can slow the progression of the condition once you’ve been diagnosed.

What are the symptoms of AMD?

Unfortunately, with AMD, by the time you notice symptoms, the condition will usually have affected your vision. The first warning sign is usually difficulty seeing in low lighting, which is mainly due a loss of rod cells. It’s been suggested by experts that struggling to see in dim light could actually begin to occur at least three years before there are clinical signs of AMD. Vision problems in low light are actually relatively common as 70% of adults aged 50+ have said that they struggle with their night vision.

78% of patients who are diagnosed with AMD have already suffered irreversible vision loss. In fact, almost half of newly-diagnosed AMD patients have eyesight of 20/200 or worse. To put this into context, 20/20 vision is very good vision and 20/40 is driving standard vision. 20/200 qualifies as blind. It’s clear that people are dealing with an extreme level of central vision loss before they receive their official diagnosis. However, as AMD is a painless condition and as the effects come on very slowly, many patients don’t notice the visual changes until it’s too late. You should look out for the following symptoms for AMD:

• Blurred vision
• Poorer colour perception
• Difficulty seeing in the dark
• Vision taking longer to adjust in dim light
• Darker, fuzzy areas in your central vision
• Words disappearing when you read
• Objects changing shape, size or colour
• Sensitive to light
• Straight lines looking bent

What are the risk factors for AMD?

There are a number of factors that increase your likelihood of developing age-related macular degeneration. If you fall into any of the following categories, you should be particularly vigilant when it comes to noticing potential AMD symptoms:

• Age 50+
• Family history of AMD
• Overexposure to UV rays
• Regular smoker
• Regular alcohol drinker
• Diabetic
• Overweight
• Hypertension
• Elevated cholesterol
• Caucasian
• Female

Smoking is the biggest risk-factor with smokers almost 5 times more likely to develop AMD than non-smokers. Although some of these criteria are factors which you can’t control (age, family history, type 1 diabetes, race and sex), the rest are largely dependent on your diet and level of exercise. Even if you have been diagnosed with AMD, you can slow the progression by making some lifestyle changes, to prevent the disease from rapidly robbing your vision.

How can you slow the progression of AMD?

To slow the progression of AMD, you should do what you can to combat the risk factors. This includes stopping smoking, cutting back on alcohol, eating a good diet, and minimising your exposure to UV rays. UV rays and blue light can damage your retina so it’s important to wear UV protection sunglasses when outside to minimise these risks. Read more about how to protect your eyes from UV rays on our blog.

In terms of dietary changes, it is recommended that you follow a ‘Mediterranean style diet’ which tends to focus on fruit and vegetables, legumes, seeds, nuts and grains. You should also have dairy products, fish, poultry and wine in ‘moderate amounts’, while avoiding high-fat dairy items, red and processed meats, and fried food. This should help to regulate your cholesterol levels which, if too high, can cause AMD to progress more quickly than it otherwise would.

Another lifestyle change you can implement, if you’re not already doing it, is to exercise regularly. This helps you to maintain overall good health, manage your weight, and can also keep cardiovascular disease at bay. If you’ve already been diagnosed with AMD, making these lifestyle changes can help to slow the progression of AMD. If you have a family history of AMD, following this dietary and exercise advice could help you to delay the onset of the condition.

If you have any concerns about your vision, do not hesitate to contact your optician. They can perform a thorough examination and, if necessary, refer you for specialist help to save your vision