AMD blurs the centre of your vision and leaves the edges intact
The macula is the small central part of the retina that handles detail: reading, faces, road signs, the screen you are looking at now. Age-related macular degeneration damages it, so the centre of your vision blurs or distorts while your peripheral vision stays clear. It is the leading cause of blindness in North America in adults over 55.
That pattern is why AMD is easy to miss. Peripheral vision keeps working, and when only one eye is affected the other compensates well enough that many people notice nothing until the condition is advanced.
Who should book: Adults over 55 as part of an annual exam, and sooner if you have a family history of AMD, smoke or used to, or have noticed straight lines beginning to look bent or wavy.
Dry and wet AMD are different problems
Dry AMD is the common form, accounting for the large majority of cases. It develops gradually as deposits called drusen build up under the retina and the light-sensitive cells slowly thin. Vision loss is usually slow.
Wet AMD is less common and far more urgent. Abnormal blood vessels grow beneath the retina and leak, and central vision can change over days or weeks rather than years. Wet AMD needs to be treated by an ophthalmologist quickly, and prompt treatment protects vision that would otherwise be lost.
Dry AMD can convert to wet AMD. That possibility is the reason monitoring continues even when your dry AMD is stable.
Signs that need an appointment now
Book an urgent appointment, or seek emergency eye care, if you notice:
- Straight lines that look bent, wavy, or broken
- A blurred, dim, or empty patch in the centre of your vision
- A sudden change in how well you see detail with one eye
- Colours that look washed out compared with your other eye
A quick way to check yourself at home is the Amsler grid, a simple square grid with a central dot. You look at the dot with one eye covered and note whether any lines bend or go missing. Ask us for one at your next visit.
What we assess
- Dilated fundus examination: direct visualization of the macula and the rest of the retina
- OCT (Optical Coherence Tomography): cross-sectional imaging of the macula that shows drusen, thinning, and the fluid that signals wet AMD, often before you notice a change
- Optomap ultra-widefield retinal imaging: captures approximately 82% of the retina in a single image
- Digital retinal photography: baseline images so this year's macula can be compared against last year's
- Visual acuity and Amsler testing: how your central vision is performing in practice
As with glaucoma, the value is in the series rather than any single visit. We keep your images so that change can be measured against your own baseline.
Reducing your risk
The evidence is strongest for a small number of things, and they are worth doing:
- Not smoking. Smoking is the largest modifiable risk factor for AMD
- Protecting your eyes from UV with sunglasses outdoors
- Eating leafy greens and fish, and keeping blood pressure under control
- Keeping your annual eye exam, so that change is caught while it is small
Ask your optometrist before starting an eye vitamin. Specific supplement formulations are appropriate for some stages of AMD and not others, and the right answer depends on what your retina actually shows.
MacuMira therapy for dry AMD
Dry AMD has historically had few treatment options. MacuMira is a non-invasive therapy for dry AMD that uses controlled microcurrents delivered through a headset, with no injections, surgery, or lasers.
We offer MacuMira at our Westmount Vision Care location. Suitability is decided from a full retinal assessment, so the first step is monitoring at any of our clinics; if MacuMira is a fit for you, we arrange it from there.
Coverage & pricing
Alberta Health Care covers eye exams for children under 19 and adults 65 and older, and covers medically necessary visits for a diagnosed retinal condition at any age. Adults aged 19-64 without a diagnosis are typically covered for routine exams through extended health benefits. MacuMira therapy is a separate service; call us for current pricing and for a receipt you can submit to a Health Spending Account.