Can the dry form turn into the wet form?
Illustration by JirehDesign.com Yes. All people who have the wet form had the dry form first. The dry form can advance and cause vision loss without turning into the wet form. The dry form also can suddenly turn into the wet form, even during early stage AMD. There is no way to tell if or when the dry form will turn into the wet form. Who is at risk for AMD? AMD can occur during middle age. The risk increases with aging. Other risk factors include: • Smoking. • Obesity. Research studies suggest a link between obesity and the progression of early and intermediate stage AMD to advanced AMD. • Race. Whites are much more likely to lose vision from AMD than African Americans. • Family history. People with a family history of AMD are at higher risk of getting the disease. • Gender. Women appear to be at greater risk than men. How is AMD detected? AMD is detected during a comprehensive eye exam that includes: • Visual acuity test.
AMD is detected during a comprehensive eye exam that includes: • Visual acuity test. This eye chart test measures how well you see at various distances. • Dilated eye exam. Drops are placed in your eyes to widen, or dilate, the pupils. Your eye care professional uses a special magnifying lens to examine your retina and optic nerve for signs of AMD and other eye problems. After the exam, your close-up vision may remain blurred for several hours. • Tonometry. An instrument measures the pressure inside the eye. Numbing drops may be applied to your eye for this test. Your eye care professional also may do other tests to learn more about the structure and health of your eye. During an eye exam, you may be asked to look at an Amsler grid. The pattern of the grid resembles a checkerboard. You will 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.
Yes. All people who have the wet form of AMD had the dry form first. Dry AMD can advance and cause vision loss without turning into the wet form of the disease. The dry form also can suddenly turn into the wet form, even during early stage AMD. There is no way to tell if or when dry will turn into wet AMD. The dry form has early and intermediate stages. Does the wet form have similar stages? No. The wet form is considered advanced AMD. Can advanced AMD be either the dry form or the wet form? Yes. Both the wet form and the advanced dry form are considered advanced AMD, and vision loss can occur with either form, although in most cases, only advanced AMD can cause vision loss. People who have advanced AMD in one eye are at especially high risk of developing advanced AMD in the other eye. Causes and Risk Factors Who is at risk of developing AMD? The greatest risk factor is age.
Yes. All people who have the wet form had the dry form first. The dry form can advance and cause vision loss without turning into the wet form. The dry form also can suddenly turn into the wet form, even during early stage AMD. There is no way to tell if or when the dry form will turn into the wet form.
