AMD affects the middle part of your vision, not the edges (peripheral vision).
You can get it in 1 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 are not there (hallucinations)
AMD is not painful and does not 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 are not 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 cannot get an urgent appointment.
Page last reviewed: 20 April 2021
Next review due: 20 April 2024