Vision loss from AMD can cause difficulty seeing, even with glasses or contact lenses. Once you’ve lost central vision, driving, reading, and focusing on your friends and family members’ faces may be more challenging.
Sometimes, people with AMD become fearful of falling. Staying home to avoid a possible fall can lead to loneliness and isolation. You might also miss out on physical activity that could help you stay healthy.
An eye doctor or retina specialist can recommend treatments to slow vision loss. Taking advantage of the resources and working with a low-vision specialist can help you preserve your sight for as long as possible and live better with limited vision.
Treatment options for wet age-related macular degeneration
AMD comes in two types: dry and wet.
Dry AMD is the earlier stage of the disease. Wet AMD is the advanced stage, in which atypical blood vessels grow in and damage the macula. There’s no treatment for dry AMD, but the wet form of the disease does have treatment options.
Anti-VEGF medications block a protein called vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Anti-VEGF drugs stop atypical blood vessels from leaking and causing swelling in the retina. The medications are available as an injection an eye doctor gives you about once a month.
Photodynamic therapy uses a special medication your doctor activates with light from a laser. The activated drug breaks down the atypical blood vessels that cause vision loss.
You don’t have to give up reading, watching TV, or socializing with friends. Vision rehabilitation offers therapies, resources, and tools to improve your daily function. You’ll work with a low-vision specialist, who will teach you strategies to keep you active and independent.
Several low-vision aids are available for people with AMD, including:
- brighter lights for reading
- large print books, magazines, and playing cards
- magnifying lenses
- TVs that project an enlarged printed page on the screen
A low-vision specialist will do an assessment and help you find the strategies and tools that best fit your needs. They can also teach you how to properly use your low-vision aids.
Diet, physical activity, and other daily habits might help slow AMD progression. Here are a few tips to try:
- Eat foods rich in the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin, which promote eye health. You’ll find these antioxidants in leafy greens like kale and spinach, carrots, orange and yellow peppers, and fruits like oranges and peaches.
- If you smoke, your doctor can advise on how to quit. Tobacco smoke contains toxic chemicals that damage the eyes.
- Try to get at least 30 minutes of aerobic activity, such as walking, daily. If low vision gets in the way of physical activity, you might consider pedaling a stationary bike or lifting light weights.
- Ask your eye doctor if you can take the age-related eye disease study (AREDS) nutritional supplement. This vitamin and mineral formulation may help slow the progression of AMD.
It can be difficult to accept the loss of vision. A 2022 study found that 1 in 4 people in the United States with vision loss experienced emotional distress.
These are some symptoms of emotional distress:
- you can’t focus
- you feel sad, hopeless, worthless, or irritable
- you eat too little or too much
- you feel tired or have no energy
- you sleep too little or too much
Talk with a doctor or a mental health professional (psychologist, psychiatrist, counselor) about your feelings. They can recommend treatment and help you cope with vision loss.
Wet age-related macular degeneration resources
Here are a few sources of support and information to improve your daily life with AMD:
The eye doctor or retina specialist who treats your AMD can recommend other resources.
Questions to ask a doctor
You will have a limited amount of time to spend with a retina specialist or ophthalmologist at each appointment. These questions for them can help you make the most of your visit:
- What treatments do you recommend for slowing vision loss?
- What can I do at home to preserve the sight I have?
- What kind of diet is best for AMD?
- How can I exercise safely with vision loss?
- What resources can help me stay independent?
- Can you recommend a vision rehabilitation program or specialist?
You might want to bring along a friend or family member to help you take notes.
You can’t always prevent vision loss from AMD. However, there are ways to slow its progression and prevent this eye disease from compromising your independence. Your eye doctor, vision rehabilitation specialist, and mental health professional have tips and tools to help you navigate your new world more easily and safely.