AMD Diagnosis: National AMD & Low Vision Awareness Month

In our first blog post dedicated to National AMD & Low Vision Awareness Month, we discussed AMD, including risk factors and symptoms. As the leading cause of vision loss for Americans age 50 and older, it is also important to understand how AMD, or Age-Related Macular Degeneration, is detected and diagnosed. 

To detect and diagnosis AMD, an eye doctor must assess your vision, as well as the health of your eye and retina, specifically a part of the retina affected by AMD called the macula. Doing so will help your eye doctor understand your condition, your treatment options, and ways to optimize your vision. 

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Detecting AMD

There are four tests that an eye doctor will typically perform to detect AMD:

1. Visual acuity test
2. Dilated eye exam
3. Tonometry
   
4. Amsler grid

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1. Visual Acuity Test
 
A visual acuity test is a part of a comprehensive eye exam that allows your eye doctor to test your vision at various distances. Each eye is tested separately (while wearing glasses or corrective lenses) to determine the smallest letters you can read on a standard eye chart at a distance of 20 feet. 
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2. Dilated Eye Exam
 
A dilated eye exam allows your eye doctor to examine your retina and optic nerve. By dilating your eyes with dilating eye drops, your eye doctor can see into your eye and look for signs of macular degeneration or other eye conditions. 
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3. Tonometry
 
Tonometry allows your eye doctor to measure the your intraocular eye pressure, or the pressure inside your eye. Your doctor will give you numbing drops containing fluorescein (a dye safe for your eyes) before the test. 
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4. Amsler Grid
 
An Amsler Grid is a series of intersecting lines that resembles a checkerboard. A person with healthy vision will see straight lines, while a person with AMD would see blurry, wavy, or missing lines. 

​Watch the following video to learn more about Amsler Grid testing. 
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View Video

Depending upon the results of your eye exams, your eye doctor may suggest additional special tests if a form of macular degeneration called wet AMD is suspected. 
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Diagnosing AMD

​​Once testing is complete, your eye doctor can assess your vision and eye condition and determine if you have AMD. 
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If your eye doctor diagnoses you with AMD, you can then start to discuss your condition, type of AMD, prognosis, and treatment options. Further, you can start to discuss living with low vision and optimizing daily living with low vision. 

In our next two posts in our National AMD & Low Vision Awareness Month series, learn about treatment options for AMD and living with low vision caused by conditions such as AMD.

If you are concerned about your vision and eye health or that of a loved one, please call us today to schedule an appointment. 
 

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