Knowing the symptoms of macular degeneration is important if you are to reduce the chances of developing visual loss. Recognising the symptoms early is most important with wet macular degeneration as it could mean you save yourself from developing severe visual impairment. It is not quite as important with dry macular degeneration as there are no real treatments for this type. Although this is the case, if you think you may be experiencing symptoms of either type you should immediately attend your opticians or an eye casualty.
Typical Symptoms of Dry Macular degeneration:
- Gradual deterioration in your central vision which will be most noticeable when reading, writing and trying to recognise people’s faces.
- You will find you will require more light to do close vision tasks.
- As it progresses you may be aware of small blind spots (area of blurriness) in your vision that gradually enlarge over time.
Typical symptoms of Wet Macular degeneration:
- Sudden distortion of your central vision. This typically means you will see straight lines as bent or wavy.
- Symptoms are normally in one eye and happen quickly.
Important points about Macular degeneration symptoms
There are no exact symptoms in either type of macular degeneration and the rate of progression can often vary widely. One very important point to mention is that the symptoms normally occur in one eye initially. If it only happens in one of your eyes and your other eye sees clearly, you may not notice the drop in vision. This is why it is important if you suspect any change in vision to check your eyes independently.
This information is provided purely as a guide and in no way constitutes medical advice. If you are in doubt about the health of your eyes you should consult your doctor or optometrist.
