Wills Eye expert discusses what patients need to know about Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Carl D. Regillo, MD Chief of the Wills Eye Hospital Retina Service discusses what patients need to know about Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD).

"It's very important for people to know they have AMD, because we do have some very effective treatments," Dr. Regillo says.

"For people over the age of 60, it's not uncommon to see some degenerative changes of the macula, and there are two forms," Dr. Regillo says. "The dry, early stage usually doesn't have many symptoms with it, if the condition stays dry."

"The more severe 'wet stage' causes potentially severe vision loss if not treated," Dr. Regillo says. "But, we do have good treatments, and if we detect the 'wet form' early in its course, we can retain relatively good vision in many patients." Dr. Regillo says.

Patients over the age of 60 should know:
• Macular degeneration beyond age 60 is normal
• 'Dry' Age-Related Macular Degeneration can be treated with a vitamin regimen to prevent it from advancing to the more serious 'Wet' form
• Any sudden vision changes should be checked immediately for change from 'Dry' to 'Wet' form of the condition
• Early detection of 'Wet' stage AMD is vital to treat and retain vision