How is AMD detected

People in the early stages of AMD usually may not notice anything abnormal in their vision. Only a comprehensive eye test can detect AMD.

The eye test may include the following:

• Visual acuity test: This is an simple and common eye chart which measures how well you see at distances.
• Dilated eye test: Using a special magnifying lens, your retina and optic nerve are inspected for signs of AMD and other eye problems.
• Amsler grid: Your eye care professional also may ask you to look at an Amsler grid. Changes in your central vision may cause the lines in the grid to disappear or appear wavy, a sign of AMD.
• Optical coherence tomography (OCT): by OCT very high-resolution images of the tissues in the eyes are made. You will be asked to place your head on a chin rest and hold still for several seconds while the images are obtained. The light beam is painless.

During the exam, your eye care professional will look for drusen, which are yellow deposits beneath the retina. Most people develop some very small drusen as a normal part of aging. The presence of medium-to-large drusen may indicate that you have AMD.

Click here to test your eyesight with the Amsler grid.