• All patients with macular degeneration start with the dry form of macular degeneration. Around 10% of patients develop the wet form of macular degeneration in the later stages of the disease.

Dry Macular Degeneration

• Impacts 90% of patients with macular degeneration.
• Starts with deposits that build up underneath the retina called drusen.
• These deposits (drusen) cause a slow thinning of the macula (center vision) over many years.
• The early form of dry macular degeneration does not cause any vision symptoms, so regular follow up with your eye doctor is important to detect these changes.
• Eye vitamins known as AREDS 2 vitamins can help reduce the rate of progression of dry macular degeneration by 20% over a 5 year period. Make sure you discuss with your eye doctor to determine if you are a candidate for these eye supplements.
• The slow thinning of the retina leads to a gradual loss of central vision.
• Advanced stage of dry macular degeneration is known as geographic atrophy (GA). At this stage, patients have loss of their retinal cells in the macula and can experience a significant decrease in central vision.

Wet Macular Degeneration

• Around 10% of patients with macular degeneration develop new vessels underneath the retina that can cause bleeding and swelling of the macula known as wet macular degeneration.
• This typically causes a more rapid decline in central vision and distorted vision.
• Treatments for wet macular degeneration act against the leaky blood vessels. These treatments help preserve vision in over 95% patients.
• Prompt diagnosis and early treatment is very important to have the best possible prognosis.