What Vision Can Look Like with Macular Degeneration
It affects central vision while leaving side vision intact. Many people first notice that faces or printed words look blurry or incomplete, even though they can still see objects around the edges.
As AMD progresses, you may notice:
- Blurry or hazy central vision that makes reading or detailed tasks harder
- Distortion, where straight lines such as door frames or lines of text look bent or wavy
- Blank or dark spots in the center of what you’re looking at
- Missing letters or parts of words when reading
- Faded colors that look less vivid than before
- Trouble seeing in dim light or adjusting from bright to low light
Symptoms of Dry and Wet Macular Degeneration
There are two forms of macular degeneration. Dry AMD is far more common, and it can turn into wet AMD at any stage.
Dry AMD
It develops as the macula thins with age and small yellow deposits called drusen build up under the retina. It usually progresses slowly, over years. Early dry AMD often has no symptoms. As it advances, you may notice:
- Needing more light to read
- Gradually blurrier central vision
- Words or details that seem to fade or go missing
In its most advanced form, called geographic atrophy, areas of the retina break down and create blind spots in your central vision.
Wet AMD
Occurs when abnormal blood vessels grow under the retina and leak fluid or blood. It is less common but causes the most severe vision loss from AMD, and it can progress quickly.
Symptoms include:
- Straight lines that suddenly look wavy or bent
- A dark, blurry, or empty spot in your central vision
- Rapid decline in central vision over days or weeks
Wet AMD needs prompt treatment. If you notice these changes, call us right away.
The Stages of Macular Degeneration
Your eye doctor may describe your AMD by stage:
- Early AMD: Medium-sized drusen are present. Most people have no vision symptoms.
- Intermediate AMD: Larger drusen and/or pigment changes in the retina. Some people notice mild blurriness or trouble seeing in low light.
- Late AMD: Either wet AMD or geographic atrophy (advanced dry AMD), with noticeable central vision loss.
What To Expect During Your Retina Exam
Macular degeneration is diagnosed during a comprehensive retinal exam. At your appointment, your ophthalmologist may use:
- Dilated eye exam is when eye drops are placed in your eyes to widen your pupils so your doctor can closely examine the retina and macula.
- Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a quick, painless scan that creates detailed cross-section images of your retina. It shows fluid, thinning, and drusen.
- Fluorescein angiography is when a special dye is injected into a vein in your arm, and photos track how it moves through the blood vessels in your retina. This helps identify leaking vessels in wet AMD.
- Fundus photography and autofluorescence imaging take photos of the back of the eye that document changes and track progression over time.
- Amsler grid test is a simple grid of lines that helps detect distortion in your central vision.
Plan to spend 2 hours at your first visit. Your eyes may be blurry or sensitive to light for several hours after dilation. If you are concerned about driving afterward, arrange for someone to drive you home.
Macular Degeneration Treatment
The right treatment depends on whether you have dry or wet AMD and how advanced it is. Our goal is to slow the disease, protect the vision you have, and help you keep doing the things you enjoy.
| Treatment | Best For | What it does | Typical Schedule |
| Anti-VEGF Injections | Wet AMD | Stops leaking blood vessels; can stabilize or improve vision | Every 4-16 weeks |
| Syfovre or Izervay Injections | Geographic atrophy (advanced dry AMD) | Slows the growth of damaged areas | Every 1-2 months |
| AREDS2 Vitamins | Intermediate dry AMD | Lowers the risk of progressing to advanced AMD | Daily supplement |
| Low Vision Services | Anyone with vision loss from AMD | Helps with reading and daily tasks | As needed |
Everything in the table above is determined by your doctor based on the medication and your eyes’ response to the treatment.
Why See a Retina Specialist
A retina specialist performs retinal injections and uses advanced imaging to track small changes that can signal the need for treatment. Our macular degeneration care is led by board-certified ophthalmologists Dr. Susan Relf, who founded the practice and has cared for Duluth-area patients since 1992, and Dr. Todd Brittain, who focuses on medical eye diseases including macular degeneration and glaucoma.
Millerwoods Health Care Campus
