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Symptoms

By Mayo Clinic staff

CLICK TO ENLARGE

Photographs depicting normal vision and vision with macular degeneration Vision with macular degeneration

Dry macular degeneration symptoms usually develop gradually. You may notice these vision changes:

  • The need for increasingly bright light when reading or doing close work
  • Increasing difficulty adapting to low light levels, such as when entering a dimly lit restaurant
  • Increasing blurriness of printed words
  • A decrease in the intensity or brightness of colors
  • Difficulty recognizing faces
  • A gradual increase in the haziness of your overall vision
  • A blurred or blind spot in the center of your field of vision
  • Hallucinations of geometric shapes or people, in cases of advanced macular degeneration

Dry macular degeneration may affect one eye or both eyes. If only one eye is affected, you may not notice any or much change in your vision because your good eye compensates for the weak one.

When to see a doctor
See your eye doctor if:

  • You notice changes in your central vision
  • Your ability to see colors and fine detail becomes impaired

These changes may be the first indication of macular degeneration, particularly if you are older than 50.

Causes Definition
References
  1. Age-related macular degeneration. American Academy of Ophthalmology. http://one.aao.org/asset.axd?id=29a3f5f4-afa1-41ea-bbc5-0bb01ff1fc9c. Accessed July 27, 2010.
  2. Rosenfeld PJ, et al. Age-related macular degeneration. In: Yanoff M, et al. Ophthalmology. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby; 2008. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/199400089-5/0/1869/0.html. Accessed July 27, 2010.
  3. Facts about age-related macular degeneration. National Eye Institute. http://www.nei.nih.gov/health/maculardegen/armd_facts.asp. Accessed July 27, 2010.
  4. Age-related macular degeneration (AMD). EyeSmart. http://www.geteyesmart.org/eyesmart/diseases/amd.cfm. Accessed Aug. 2, 2010.
  5. Arroyo JG. Age-related macular degeneration: Treatment and prevention. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed July 27, 2010.
  6. Making the most of low vision. EyeSmart. http://www.geteyesmart.org/eyesmart/diseases/amd-low-vision.cfm. Accessed July 27, 2010.
  7. Schadlu AP, et al. Charles Bonnet syndrome: A review. Current Opinion in Ophthalmology. 2009;20:219.
  8. Devices to help with low vision. Macular Degeneration Partnership. http://www.amd.org/living-with-amd/low-vision/80-devices-to-help-low-vision.html. Accessed Aug. 10, 2010.
  9. Primo SA. Implantable miniature telescope: Lessons learned. Optometry. 2010;81:86.
  10. Krishnadev N, et al. Nutritional supplements for age-related macular degeneration. Current Opinion in Ophthalmology. 2010;21:184.
  11. Van Leeuwen R, et al. Dietary intake of antioxidants and risk of age-related macular degeneration. JAMA. 2005;294:3101.
  12. Chong EWT, et al. Fat consumption and its association with age-related macular degeneration. Archives of Ophthalmology. 2009;127:674.
  13. Chiu CJ, et al. Does eating particular diets alter the risk of age-related macular degeneration in users of the Age-Related Eye Diseases Study supplements? British Journal of Ophthalmology. 2009;93:1241.
  14. Chiu CJ, et al. Dietary carbohydrate and the progression of age-related macular degeneration: A prospective study from the Age-Related Eye Disease Study. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2007;86:1210.
  15. SanGiovanni JP, et al. The relationship of dietary omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid intake with incident age-related macular degeneration. Archives of Ophthalmology. 2008;126:1274.
  16. Seddon JM, et al. Cigarette smoking, fish consumption, omega-3 fatty acid intake and associations with age-related macular degeneration. Archives of Ophthalmology. 2006;124:995.
  17. Robertson DM (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Aug. 10, 2010.
DS00284 Oct. 1, 2011

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