How fast does amd progress
There are two forms of AMD, wet and dry. The wet form is a sudden-onset AMD and is quite rare. Dry AMD is far more common. Eye tissues become damaged and accumulations of deposits called drusen begin to form under the retina. The drusen interfere with optic nerve communication, thus disrupting vision.
Most people begin experiencing some central vision difficulty when the macular degeneration enters into the intermediate stage. Drusen become more plentiful, but you still might not have symptoms.
During this stage, some patients begin seeing a hole or black spot in the central vision. You may also begin to notice that it is difficult for your eyes to adjust from a brightly lit location to a dim location, like walking from an outdoor area on a sunny day into a darkened hallway.
If your doctor spots drusen, according to the Bright Focus Foundation , your doctor may request that you visit for eye exams frequently. That can allow your doctor to look for changes that indicate that the disease is progressing.
It's vital to keep those appointments even if you feel fine. You will not be able to see drusen on your own. You will need a doctor's help. Your doctor may also encourage you to take care of your overall health by:. Your eyes rely on a healthy cardiovascular system, and that means paying attention to the choices that can harm your heart could be a key part of keeping AMD from progressing.
You might start that work now and keep it up throughout the course of your AMD journey. Your doctor can help you make these changes, and your doctor can refer you to other specialists, such as dietitians, if you need extra help.
The organization Prevent Blindness suggests that people in the intermediate stage of AMD have many drusen, and while some may not have symptoms, others may begin to see holes or black spots in the center of the visual field.
In addition, people in intermediate stages may struggle to move from a bright location to a dim location, such as walking into a darkened movie theater on a sunny day, due to changes within their eyes. These changes may be subtle. These signs indicate that the disease is progressing, and your doctor may begin to add therapies to help you gain control and ensure that you do not lose much more sight. Vitamin therapy may be one of the solutions your doctor offers.
According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology , there are specific vitamin formulations that have been proven to slow the course of AMD, but they work best in people with intermediate or advanced cases of the disorder. Your doctor may provide you with a specific brand and product name to buy, or your doctor may have those vitamins in the office for you to take.
Your doctor may encourage you to continue with healthy lifestyle habits, including keeping weight under control and exercising regularly. You may also be encouraged to visit the doctor even more frequently, so your AMD can be monitored and your doctor can look for signs of progression of the disease. Again, it's vital for you to keep your appointments. In the late stages of AMD, you may have many drusen and your vision may be significantly impaired.
Straight lines may look wavy, and you may have a large spot of fuzziness in the center of your visual field. Does dry macular degeneration always turn to wet macular degeneration? If yes, how fast will this happen. For the majority of people, age related macular degeneration progresses slowly.
There is loss of central vision in advanced stages but AMD does not result in blindness. However, the dry form can turn into the wet form All those with wet AMD had the dry form first. There is no way to tell if or when the dry form will turn into the wet form. If there is a deviation from the usual testing, an alert would be triggered that would inform the prescribing doctor of a change that may be suggestive of wet macular degeneration.
The prescribing doctor would then do a complete eye examination to assess if there has been a change to wet AMD. Your ophthalmologist will determine the required frequency by monitoring your progress with exams and retinal photographs. These injections may improve your vision, and are very likely to help prevent you from losing more central vision. Researchers are exploring longer-lasting treatments. There are currently no proven treatments for geographic atrophy, but several types of oral or injected drugs are being tested.
Not everyone with early AMD will develop advanced AMD, and those who develop an advanced form of the disease do not develop total blindness. However, the loss of central vision can significantly interfere with everyday activities, such as driving or reading. The disease can progress slowly or quickly. How quickly AMD progresses can depend on a number of factors, including whether a person develops the wet or dry form of AMD.