eye disorders
Age Related Macular Degeneration (AMD or ARMD)
Symptoms of AMD
In dry AMD, the loss of central vision occurs slowly and painlessly over years. People may have few or no symptoms but, when they do have symptoms, they often occur in both eyes. Objects may appear washed out, fine detail may be lost, and reading may become more difficult. As the disease progresses, central blind spots (scotomas) usually occur and can sometimes severely impair vision. Most people retain enough vision to read and drive. In wet AMD, loss of vision tends to progress quickly, usually over days or weeks, and may be even more sudden if one of the abnormal blood vessels bleeds. The first symptom may be an area of blurry, wavy, or distorted central vision. Vision at the outer edges of the visual field (peripheral vision) is typically not affected. Wet AMD usually affects one eye at a time. Often, difficulty with reading or watching television results. AMD can severely damage vision and can lead to legal blindness in the affected eye. 