Macular degeneration symptoms depend on the stage. Early age-related macular degeneration (AMD) causes no symptoms, and in the intermediate stage some people notice mild blur in their central vision or trouble seeing in low light. In late AMD, wet or dry, straight lines can start to look wavy or crooked, a blurry area can appear near the center of your vision, blank spots can follow, and colors can seem less bright. AMD doesn't hurt. If straight lines start to look wavy or a new blurry or blank spot appears, call us right away at 310-828-2010 for a same-day exam, or go to an emergency room when we're closed. Sudden loss of vision or a sudden dark area in your central vision means calling 911, even if it comes back.
Key takeaways
- Early macular degeneration causes no symptoms, while the late stage can bring wavy or crooked lines, a blurry area near the center, blank spots and duller colors.
- If you're 55 or older, smoke or have a family history of macular degeneration, get regular eye exams, since the early stage is silent.
- Straight lines turning wavy or a new blurry or blank spot in central vision needs a same-day exam, or an emergency room when the office is closed.
- Sudden loss of vision or a dark area that suddenly appears in your central vision means calling 911, even if it comes back.
01
What are the first signs of macular degeneration?
Often there are none. Early dry AMD doesn't cause any symptoms. In intermediate dry AMD, some people still have no symptoms, while others notice mild blurriness in their central vision or trouble seeing in low lighting.
| Stage | What you may notice |
|---|---|
| Early AMD | No symptoms |
| Intermediate AMD | Some people notice nothing; others notice mild blur in the center or trouble seeing in low light |
| Late AMD (wet or dry) | Wavy or crooked lines, a blurry area near the center that may grow, blank spots, colors that seem less bright, more trouble in low light |
Because the early stage is silent, don't wait for your vision to change. People 55 and older are more likely to have AMD, and the risk is also higher if you have a family history of AMD, are Caucasian or smoke. If you're at risk, the National Eye Institute advises regular eye exams and asking your doctor how often you need them.
AMD is a progressive disease, so symptoms usually get worse over time, very slowly in some people and faster in others.
02
What does vision look like with macular degeneration?
The trouble is in the center of whatever you look at. AMD blurs central vision, the sharp, straight-ahead vision you use to see faces, read, drive and do close-up work like cooking, but it doesn't cause complete blindness. Common changes include:
- A blurry area near the center of your vision that may get bigger, or blank spots
- A dark or empty area in the center of your vision
- Straight lines that look wavy or crooked, and objects whose shapes look distorted
- Colors that seem less bright than before
- More trouble seeing in low lighting
If central vision has already been lost, low vision care helps you use the vision you have, with magnification, lighting and contrast strategies for reading and daily tasks.
03
What does it mean when straight lines look wavy?
Straight lines that look wavy are a warning sign for late AMD, and the National Eye Institute says to see your eye doctor right away if you notice it. Other problems in the macula, the part of the retina that controls sharp, straight-ahead vision, can bend lines too.
| Condition | What it is | How vision can change |
|---|---|---|
| Late AMD | Aging damage to the macula; in wet AMD, abnormal blood vessels grow under it and leak | Wavy or crooked lines, a blurry area near the center, blank spots |
| Macular pucker | Scar tissue that forms on the macula | Straight lines, like a sentence in a book, look bent or wavy; usually one eye |
| Macular hole | A small opening in the macula, most often from changes that come with age | Distorted or blurry central vision, lines that look bent or wavy, a blurred or blind spot in the center |
| Macular edema | Swelling when blood vessels leak into the macula, most often from diabetic retinopathy | Blurry vision, objects that look wavy when you look straight ahead, colors that look dull or faded |
Macular holes and AMD can cause similar symptoms, but they're different conditions. Macular pucker is rare, and in most cases its symptoms are mild or get worse slowly. Eye doctors check for macular edema as part of a dilated eye exam, and an OCT scan (pictures of the retina taken with a special machine) shows how much swelling there is.
04
Does macular degeneration affect one eye or both?
It can affect one eye or both. Late AMD can happen in one or both eyes, and having late AMD in one eye puts you at higher risk of developing late AMD in the other. Not everyone with AMD develops late AMD or gets it in both eyes.
Check each eye on its own. A doctor of optometry can give you an Amsler grid, a simple take-home screening test. Our online Amsler grid test walks you through it: hold the screen about 14 inches away in good light with your reading glasses on, cover one eye, keep your gaze on the center dot and notice any line that bends, blurs or goes missing, then switch eyes.
If you have late AMD in only one eye, AREDS 2 supplements may slow down the progression of AMD in the other eye. They're also for intermediate AMD in one or both eyes, and smokers and former smokers should choose them over the older AREDS formula, whose beta-carotene can raise the risk of lung cancer. They don't help people with early AMD or no AMD. We tell you at your exam whether your stage qualifies.
05
When are macular degeneration symptoms an emergency?
New distortion or a new blurry or blank spot in your central vision needs an exam the same day: call us right away, or go to an emergency room when we're closed. A dark area that suddenly appears in your central vision counts as sudden vision loss: call 911.
Call 911 for:
- Sudden loss of vision in one or both eyes, including a dark area that suddenly appears in your central vision, even if it comes back
- Sudden double vision, or double vision or a droopy eyelid that comes with a pupil that looks different, eye pain or a severe headache
- Any change in vision with face drooping, arm weakness or trouble speaking
These can be signs of a stroke or another brain or nerve emergency. The American Stroke Association counts sudden changes in vision, such as blurred vision, double vision or loss of sight in one or both eyes, among its warning signs. Call 911 for the signs above even if they go away.
Call us right away for a same-day exam, or go to an emergency room when we're closed, for:
- Straight lines that start to look wavy or crooked, or a new blurry or blank spot in the center of your vision
- A dark curtain or shadow over part of your vision, new flashes of light or a shower of new floaters
Changes that build slowly over months, like duller colors or more trouble reading in dim light, still call for a prompt visit. The American Optometric Association advises contacting a doctor of optometry immediately for a comprehensive exam if you notice signs of macular degeneration. Our office hours are Monday 10 to 5 and Tuesday through Friday 8 to 5, and we're closed Saturday and Sunday. Call 310-828-2010 for a same-day urgent visit.
06
How do eye doctors check for macular degeneration?
With a comprehensive dilated eye exam. Drops widen your pupils so the doctor can check your eyes for AMD and other eye problems, and the exam is simple and painless. Your doctor may also recommend optical coherence tomography (OCT), which takes pictures of the inside of your eye with a special machine.
A normal Amsler grid at home doesn't replace that exam, because early AMD doesn't cause any symptoms for the grid to show.
07
How we check for macular degeneration at Cohenmehr Optometry
Dr. Kevin Cohenmehr leads medical eye care at our office, including macular degeneration. Every comprehensive eye exam includes a dilated or wide-field imaged view of the retina and macula. For AMD, we use OCT imaging to assess the structure of the macula and look for fluid, and retinal photography to track change from one visit to the next.
Our Los Angeles eye doctors monitor both dry and wet AMD, talk through lifestyle changes and nutritional supplements at your visits, and refer you promptly to a retina specialist for treatment when wet changes appear. Our macular degeneration care page answers common questions, including how the timing of visits depends on your stage and risk.
08
Questions patients ask
What is age-related macular degeneration?
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is an eye disease that can blur your central vision. It happens when aging damages the macula, the part of the eye that controls sharp, straight-ahead vision. Most people with AMD have dry AMD, in which the macula gets thinner with age; wet AMD, a less common type of late AMD, happens when abnormal blood vessels grow in the back of the eye and damage the macula.
Does macular degeneration cause tunnel vision?
No. AMD affects central vision, the sharp, straight-ahead vision in the middle of what you see, and it doesn't cause complete blindness. Losing side vision, often called tunnel vision, is what glaucoma usually takes first. Eye doctors check for both in a comprehensive dilated eye exam, and our glaucoma testing includes visual field tests that map your side vision.
Is it macular degeneration or a cataract?
Some symptoms overlap, so an eye exam tells them apart. A cataract is a cloudy area in the lens of the eye: vision gets cloudy or blurry, colors look faded, lights seem too bright, halos appear around lights and it's harder to see at night. Late AMD can also dull colors and make low light harder, but its telltale signs are central: straight lines that look wavy or crooked, and a blurry area or blank spots near the center. Both become more common with age; read more about cataracts.
Are zigzag lines in your vision a sign of macular degeneration?
Zigzag lines that come and go are more typical of a migraine aura than of AMD. Aura symptoms usually affect vision, like seeing dots, zigzags or sparks, and usually last no more than an hour. AMD makes straight lines look wavy or crooked, and its symptoms usually get worse over time. Call 911 if zigzags come with trouble speaking, face drooping or arm weakness, or if they're new to you or unlike your usual auras, even if they pass.
09
Sources
- National Eye Institute: Age-related macular degeneration
- National Eye Institute: AREDS 2 supplements for AMD
- National Eye Institute: AREDS/AREDS2 frequently asked questions
- MedlinePlus: Macular degeneration
- American Optometric Association: Macular degeneration
- American Stroke Association: Stroke symptoms
- National Eye Institute: Macular pucker
- National Eye Institute: Macular hole
- National Eye Institute: Macular edema
- MedlinePlus: Retinal disorders
- National Eye Institute: Glaucoma
- National Eye Institute: Cataracts
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke: Migraine
Written by
Dr. Kevin Cohenmehr, OD
Medical eye care: glaucoma, diabetic eye exams, macular degeneration and eye infections, plus vision therapy for children. A graduate of UCLA and SUNY College of Optometry.
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