Myths and Facts about AMD

FACT:

AMD is actually quite common, especially among older adults, although it can occur in people as young as 20 years of age. It's the leading cause of vision loss in adults over 50, affecting almost 10% of adults in the United States.^1,2

FACT:

AMD symptoms can be barely noticeable, especially in the early stages. Even with advanced AMD, some people do not notice any symptoms. The most common early symptom of the dry form of AMD is blurred vision. Later symptoms include difficulty reading or recognizing faces.^3,4

Typical early symptoms of wet AMD, include straight lines appearing crooked or wavy, along with loss of central vision making details, such as features on a face, appear blurry or have blind spots while the outside perimeter is seen clearly.^3,4

FACT:

While you can’t entirely prevent macular degeneration, the progression of the disease can be reduced with a healthy lifestyle and medical treatment is available for advanced AMD. These options can help reduce the progression of AMD.^3,4

• Eat a diet filled with leafy, green vegetables and fish
• Maintain a normal weight
• Avoid smoking
• Protect your eyes from ultraviolet light with sunglasses
• Keep blood pressure and cholesterol levels in check
• Exercise regularly

FACT:

The AREDS formulation of vitamins is only effective when you have an intermediate or severe stage of AMD. Studies show these vitamins don’t help with prevention of AMD or delaying progression in early AMD.^3,4

FACT:

The eye check for a driver’s license is not sufficient to detect eye disease. A comprehensive eye exam by an eye doctor is necessary to check for eye disease, plus, many other diseases can show up first in the eye.³