Symptoms
AMD affects the middle part of your vision, not the edges (peripheral vision).
You can get it in one eye or both.
AMD can make things like reading, watching TV, driving or recognising faces difficult.
Other symptoms include:
- seeing straight lines as wavy or crooked
- objects looking smaller than normal
- colours seeming less bright than they used to
- seeing things that aren't there (hallucinations)
AMD isn't painful and doesn't affect the appearance of your eyes.
Sometimes AMD may be found during a routine eye test before you have symptoms.
See an optician if you're worried about your vision
If you have a problem with your eyes, early diagnosis and treatment may help stop your vision getting worse.
Get an urgent opticians appointment if:
- your vision gets suddenly worse
- you have a dark "curtain" or shadow moving across your vision
- your eye is red and painful
These aren't symptoms of AMD but can be signs of other eye problems that need to be treated immediately.
Go to A&E or call 111 straight away if you can't get an urgent appointment.
Page last reviewed: Sat Mar 2021 Next review due: Tue Feb 2020
