Importance of Early Detection

In 2003 the AMD Alliance International published a Global Campaign Report on Early Detection and Low Vision Rehabilitation View PDF. The Early Detection part of the report was based on a survey carried out by EOS Gallup Europe in 12 countries worldwide that revealed an alarming lack of awareness amongst the general population of the importance of regular eye health checks.

Australia and Japan were the countries with the highest percentage of people who had not had an eye test in the past two years (43% and 33% respectively) and even in the United States where awareness of AMD is high 24% of respondents had not had their eyes tested in the past two years. Even people aged over 55 who are at an increased risk of developing AMD did not differ significantly from the general population.

The main reason given by people who had not had their eyes tested was that they did not believe that there was anything wrong with their eyes. This statement (made by as many as 89% of Dutch respondents) fails to recognize that AMD usually develops in one eye without affecting vision. Lack of vision loss symptoms do a false sense of security.

Early detection is essential to secure access to treatment for some types of AMD.

The survey also showed that awareness of AMD increases the likelihood of people having had a recent eye test. Early detection is essential to secure access to treatment for some types of AMD. Hence, the AMD Alliance International attaches particular importance to raising awareness of the condition and encouraging people to have regular eye tests.

The American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) recommends the following general schedule for regular eye exams:

  • For individuals aged 40 to 64 with no AMD symptoms, eye exams are recommended every two to four years.
  • After age 65, eye exams should occur every one to two years, and even more frequently if recommended by your eye care specialist.

We would even go further and recommend an eye health check every two years for the first age group.

However, if you notice changes in your vision, you should contact your eye doctor immediately.

The earlier AMD is diagnosed, the better the chances of preventing vision loss in those types of AMD that respond to treatment. The eye exam might include the following tests:

  • VISUAL ACUITY TEST - measuring how well you see at various distances.
  • PUPIL DILATION - enabling your eye care professional to see more of the retina and look for signs of AMD. To do this, drops are placed into the eye to dilate (widen) the pupil. After the examination, your vision may remain blurred for several hours.
  • OPTHALMOSCOPE - by shining a small light into the back of your eye, the doctor is looking for the presence of drusen, the most common early sign of AMD. The presence of drusen alone does not indicate a disease, but it might mean that the eye is at risk for developing more severe AMD.
  • While conducting the eye exam, your doctor may ask you to look at an Amsler Grid. This grid is a pattern that resembles a checkerboard. You will be asked to cover one eye and stare at a black dot in the center of the grid. While staring at the dot, you may notice that the straight lines in the pattern appear wavy to you. You may notice that some of the lines are missing. These may be signs of wet AMD.
  • If your eye care professional suspects you have wet AMD, you may need to have a test called fluorescein angiography. In this test, a special dye is injected into a vein in your arm. Pictures are then taken as the dye passes through the blood vessels in the retina. The photos help your eye doctor evaluate leaking blood vessels to determine whether they can be treated.