Macular degeneration: Symptoms in Patients All you need to know about it
The first symptoms are usually only noticed physically by the patient when the age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is already at an advanced stage. The disease, however, can be diagnosed much earlier with the help of technical devices.
In this video you will learn what symptoms to look out for if you are at risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and why early screening is important.
AMD risk groups:
- The disease has already occurred in the family environment
- The risk increases from the age of 55, women are more often affected
Symptome der altersbedingten Makuladegeneration:
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Distorted vision with closed eyes in the early stages
In the early stages of the disease, patients primarily notice slightly distorted vision. You see straight lines wavy – vision is blurred. This slightly distorted vision is often hardly noticed because we use both eyes to see – we see binocularly. Both eyes are constantly giving information to the brain, which then results in the visual image. If one eye is weaker or the disease is more advanced – which is usually the case with AMD patients – the patient only notices this if he covers his eye and tries to see with only one eye. Usually, the healthy eye will balance the other’s weakness.
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Loss of eading ability in the late stages
Depending on how the eyes are affected, reading skills can be lost in the late stages.
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No complete blindness in advanced AMD
If the macular degeneration continues, those affected will never go completely blind but merely have a dark spot in their field of vision – everything around this spot will continue to be perceived and seen.
Our tip
If straight lines appear wavy when you look with one eye closed or the image is blurry or distorted, we advise you to have a specialist examine you.
Symptoms of age-related macular degeneration: Early prevention
The first symptoms of age-related macular degeneration are hardly noticeable: The danger for those affected is therefore not to notice the early stage of the disease. The disease will continue to advance unnoticed and, if left untreated, cause damage that could be prevented with early treatment.
Ophthalmological check-up from the age of 55
We recommend preventive care from the age of 55 or as soon as poor vision is noticed. As experienced ophthalmologists, we would be happy to advise you on this.