AMD affects the middle part of your vision, not the edges (peripheral vision).
You can get it in one eye or both.


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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.
Non-urgent advice: 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.
Urgent advice: 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: 27 March 2018
Next review due: 27 March 2021