{"id":1837,"date":"2026-10-20T08:52:48","date_gmt":"2026-10-20T08:52:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/laseristanbulclinic.com\/eye-glossary\/macular-degeneration\/"},"modified":"2026-10-20T12:57:00","modified_gmt":"2026-10-20T12:57:00","slug":"macular-degeneration","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/laseristanbulclinic.com\/en\/eye-glossary\/macular-degeneration\/","title":{"rendered":"Macular Degeneration (AMD): Types, Symptoms, Causes and Treatment"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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  1. Home<\/a><\/li>
  2. Knowledge centre<\/a><\/li>
  3. Eye glossary A\u2013Z<\/a><\/li>
  4. Macular Degeneration (AMD): Types, Symptoms, Causes and Treatment<\/span><\/li><\/ol><\/div>\t\t\t

    Macular Degeneration (AMD): Types, Symptoms, Causes and Treatment<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

    Medically reviewed by {{surgeon}}<\/span><\/strong>, {{surgeon’s title and specialty}}<\/span>, on {{review date}}<\/span>. Last updated {{date}}<\/span>.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

    \"Retina<\/figure><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n\n
    \n\t\t<\/svg>Definition<\/span>\n\t\t\t

    Macular degeneration<\/strong> (also age-related macular degeneration, AMD; noun)<\/em>: an eye disease in which ageing damages the macula, the small central part of the retina that gives sharp, straight-ahead vision. It blurs or distorts the centre of what you look at, which makes reading, driving and recognising faces hard, while side vision is kept. There are two forms, dry (the common one) and wet (less common, but faster and more serious), and wet macular degeneration needs urgent treatment with eye injections. In Istanbul, retina specialists Do\u00e7. Dr. Muhammet Derda \u00d6zer (Do\u00e7. = Associate Professor) and Op. Dr. Aysan Bayram assess macular disease.<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>\n\n\n\n\n

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    Macular degeneration: key facts<\/h2><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t
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    <\/svg>What it is<\/span><\/dt>
    Damage to the macula, the centre of the retina, caused by ageing; the National Eye Institute (NEI) calls it a leading cause of vision loss for older adults<\/dd><\/dl><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
    <\/svg>Who gets it<\/span><\/dt>
    Usually people over 50 (NHS); the NEI lists age 55 and over, white ethnicity, smoking and a family history as risk factors<\/dd><\/dl><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
    <\/svg>Main types<\/span><\/dt>
    Dry AMD (about 85\u201390% of cases) and wet AMD (about 10\u201315%, but the cause of most severe vision loss) (EyeWiki, American Academy of Ophthalmology)<\/dd><\/dl><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
    <\/svg>Typical symptoms<\/span><\/dt>
    Blurred or distorted central vision, straight lines that look wavy, a dark or empty patch in the middle, duller colours<\/dd><\/dl><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
    <\/svg>Does it cause blindness?<\/span><\/dt>
    It does not usually cause total blindness, because side vision is kept (NHS), but it can cause serious loss of central vision<\/dd><\/dl><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
    <\/svg>Diagnosis<\/span><\/dt>
    Dilated eye examination, optical coherence tomography (OCT) scan, Amsler grid, sometimes dye angiography<\/dd><\/dl><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
    <\/svg>Treatment<\/span><\/dt>
    Wet AMD: anti-VEGF injections into the eye. Intermediate dry AMD: AREDS2 vitamins. Late dry AMD: low-vision aids; two injections for geographic atrophy approved in the US<\/dd><\/dl><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
    <\/svg>Specialist<\/span><\/dt>
    Retina specialist (ophthalmologist); at Laser Istanbul Clinic, Do\u00e7. Dr. Muhammet Derda \u00d6zer and Op. Dr. Aysan Bayram<\/dd><\/dl><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>\n\n\n\n\n
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    \"Eye<\/div><\/div>\n\t\t
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    What is macular degeneration?<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

    Macular degeneration is damage to the macula, the part of the retina that controls sharp central vision.<\/strong> The retina is the light-sensitive layer at the back of the eye. Its centre, the macula, is what you use to read, watch television, see fine detail and recognise a face. The rest of the retina gives you side (peripheral) vision.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

    When the macula is damaged, the middle of your vision blurs or goes missing, but the edges stay clear. The American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) gives a simple picture: you might see the numbers on a clock but not the hands. That is why the NHS says AMD does not cause total blindness but can make everyday tasks such as reading and recognising faces difficult.<\/p>\n

    AMD is common. The NEI estimates that 11 million people in the United States have it. A 2014 meta-analysis in The Lancet Global Health<\/em> (Wong et al.) projected about 196 million people worldwide with AMD in 2020, rising to about 288 million by 2040.<\/p>\n

    What is the macula?<\/h3>\n

    The macula is the small central area of the retina packed with the cells that detect fine detail and colour. It is what allows you to look straight at something and see it sharply. Damage to the macula therefore affects the part of vision you use most.<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>\n\n\n\n\n

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    Types of macular degeneration: dry and wet<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t

    There are two forms of AMD, dry and wet, and they behave very differently.<\/strong><\/p>

    <\/th>Dry AMD (atrophic)<\/th>Wet AMD (neovascular)<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
    What happens<\/th>Parts of the macula get thinner with age and tiny yellow deposits called drusen build up (AAO). In the late stage, patches of cells die (geographic atrophy)<\/td>New, abnormal blood vessels grow under the retina and leak fluid or blood, which can cause scarring (AAO)<\/td><\/tr>
    How common<\/th>About 85\u201390% of AMD cases (EyeWiki)<\/td>About 10\u201315% of cases, but the cause of most severe vision loss (EyeWiki)<\/td><\/tr>
    Speed<\/th>Usually slow, over years<\/td>Can worsen within weeks or months<\/td><\/tr>
    Treatment<\/th>No treatment for early AMD; AREDS2 vitamins for intermediate AMD; injections for geographic atrophy in the US<\/td>Anti-VEGF injections into the eye, started quickly<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/div>

    Dry AMD can turn into wet AMD, which is why people with dry AMD are asked to check their vision regularly and report changes.<\/p>\n

    The stages of dry AMD<\/h3>\n

    Doctors stage AMD by the size of the drusen (EyeWiki, AAO):<\/p>\n