Signs & Symptoms

At first, the dry form of AMD often causes slightly blurred central vision, both close up and far. The center of vision may become fuzzy or shadowed, and this area grows larger as the disease progresses. Blind spots may develop, and people normally have more difficulty seeing color and fine detail.

The wide angle of vision that a healthy eye can see is called the visual field. As macular degeneration progresses, the center of a person’s visual field may become smudged, distorted, or lost. This defect causes problems with reading, driving, watching TV, and recognizing faces.

It becomes more difficult to see textures and subtle changes in the environment. If you cannot see slight contrasts and textures in pavements or stairs, it can be dangerous and increase the risk of falls. You may have difficulty distinguishing between two colors of a similar hue when placed side by side.

It may become difficult for your eyes to adjust when driving and walking at sunset, or when going from a well-lighted room to a darker one. Glare can worsen the problem. For example, a bright shaft of sunlight streaming through a window may cause everything outside the glare to “blackout.”

You may need brighter light levels for reading, cooking, and performing day-to-day tasks.

An inability to judge distances properly can also make walking harder, potentially leading to missteps and falls.