About AMD

Age Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) is a condition which is normally found in people aged over 50; this condition means you lose your central vision though still have your peripheral vision. AMD can make it harder for people to recognise faces, read, drive and other basic actions. AMD develops when the macula (part of the eye in charge of the central vision) starts to function less effectively.

There are two types of the condition – wet or dry. Dry AMD develops over many years, whereas wet AMD can develop over a matter of days. There are currently over 600,000 people in the UK who live the with this sight condition, it’s a condition which can go unnoticed because it’s painless. Dry AMD can take up to 10 years before vision is affected. Because you lose your central vision (what is in front of you) this impacts most of your day-to-day activities, but with wet AMD there can be further effects such as Visual distortions, blind spots and even hallucinations.

Like most sight conditions there are many other factors which can affect an individual living with AMD such as depression and anxiety. An estimated one third of people with the condition have depression and anxiety. It is still unknown what causes AMD which makes it difficult to prevent. Diet and nutrition may help slow the progression of dry AMD, and even reduce the risk of wet AMD, but evidence for this is limited and it should be discussed with your opticians.

If you would like to find out more about Beacon and how we support visually impaired people, please get in touch via: enquiries@beaconvision.org