How Is AMD Detected?
MD 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 doctor 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 uses an instrument that measures the pressure inside the eye. Numbing drops may be applied to your eye for this test. Your eye doctor 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. You may notice that some of the lines are missing.
Your eye care professional may suspect AMD if you are over age 60 and have had recent changes in your central vision. To look for signs of the disease, he or she will use eye drops to dilate, or enlarge, your pupils. Dilating the pupils allows your eye care professional to view the back of the eye better. 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.
Eye care professionals detect AMD during an eye examination that includes- Visual acuity test. This eye chart test measures how well you see at various distances. Pupil dilation. This examination enables your eye care professional to see more of the retina and look for signs of AMD. To do this, drops are placed into the eye to dilate (widen) the pupil. After the examination, your vision may remain blurred for several hours. One of the most common early signs of AMD is the presence of drusen. Drusen are tiny yellow deposits in the retina. Your eye care professional can see them during an eye examination. The presence of drusen alone does not indicate a disease, but it might mean that the eye is at risk for developing more severe AMD. While conducting the examination, your eye care professional may ask you to look at an Amsler grid. This grid is a pattern that resembles a checkerboard. You will be asked to cover one eye and stare at a black dot in the center of the grid.
A diagnosis of AMD must be made by a healthcare professional. Early detection is critical to ensure optimal benefit from treatment. Many patients with dry AMD have no symptoms. To aid in diagnosis, an exam is given using an ophthalmoscope, a device that lights up the inside of the eye and enlarges the image. This enables the detection of both early and later signs of AMD. Your eyecare professional may also give you a diagnostic test called a fluorescein angiogram. This procedure is key to the diagnosis and treatment of wet AMD. A fluorescein angiogram allows the eyecare specialist to pinpoint the location and extent of abnormal blood vessel growth, also called choroidal neovascularization. Another test that may be used to diagnose AMD is optical coherence tomography (OCT). OCT is a tool that provides cross-sectional pictures of the eye. In this test, a beam of infrared light is directed onto the back of the eye.
• Answer: 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. 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. You may notice that some of the lines are missing. These may be signs of AMD.
