Macular Degeneration Explained for Older Adults

Age-related macular degeneration, often shortened to AMD, is the leading cause of vision loss in adults over 60 in the United States. The condition affects the macula, the small central part of the retina that handles sharp, straight-ahead vision. Side vision usually stays normal, which is why many people with AMD can still walk around their home without bumping into furniture, even though reading a book or recognizing a face across the room becomes very hard.

There are two main forms. Dry AMD is the most common, accounting for about 80 percent of cases. It develops slowly as tiny yellow deposits called drusen build up under the retina. Most people with dry AMD keep useful vision for years. Wet AMD is less common but more serious. In wet AMD, abnormal blood vessels grow under the retina and leak fluid or blood, causing rapid vision loss. Wet AMD needs prompt treatment, often with eye injections that have stopped or even reversed vision loss for many patients.

The daily life impact of AMD is real but manageable. Reading mail, threading a needle, watching small text on television, and driving at night get harder. The good news is that simple tools — large-print materials, brighter lights, magnifiers, screen reader software, and contrast-boosting tape on stairs — preserve a great deal of independence. The American Academy of Ophthalmology and the National Eye Institute both publish free, plain-language guides for living with AMD.

A simple paper chart called the Amsler grid lets a person with AMD check their own central vision at home in about 30 seconds, once a day. Changes in how the grid looks may be the earliest warning sign of wet AMD turning active. Sources include the National Eye Institute at nei.nih.gov, the American Academy of Ophthalmology at aao.org, and the AARP Eye Health Center.