Macular Degeneration Screening & Diagnosis

On this page, you will find the following:

• Diagnosis of Macular Degeneration
• Home Test for Macular Degeneration
• Find a Doctor
• Further Information

Diagnosis of Macular Degeneration

To help diagnose macular degeneration, an eye care professional will perform a comprehensive eye exam which may include the following:

Amsler grid: The patient may be asked to look at an Amsler grid composed of black, straight lines running horizontally and vertically, and a black dot in the center. For people with macular degeneration who stare at the black dot, the lines on the grid may appear wavy, distorted or disappear completely. You can do a home test using the Amsler grid below.

Dilated eye exam: To view the back of the retina, eye drops are used to dilate the pupils. Dilation allows the doctor see the retina more easily to determine optic nerve damage.

Fundoscopy or ophthalmoscopy: The pupil is dilated and a bright beam of light is aimed into the eye to view the retina, choroid, blood vessels and optic disk.

Visual acuity test or eye chart test: This test measures sight from various distances.

Fundus photography: The pupil is dilated, light is focused through the cornea, pupil and lens, and a customized camera photographs the back of the eye, including the retina, macula and optic nerve.

Fluorescein angiography: If the wet form of macular degeneration is suspected, this test may be done to detect leaking blood vessels. A dye is injected into the arm of the patient, and is traced as it courses through the blood vessels in the retina, where it can reveal leakage.

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Home Test for Macular Degeneration

The Amsler Grid can help detect early signs of retinal disease and monitor changes in vision after a diagnosis has been made. It should not in any way substitute for the advice of a qualified health care professional and it is not intended to constitute medical advice.

Directions:

Wear your reading glasses or bifocals. Cover one eye with your hand without putting pressure on the eye. Look at the dot in the center of the grid. Do not let your eye drift from the center. All of the lines should appear straight and all of the boxes should appear to be the same size and shape. There should be no distortion on the grid. If any of the lines are missing, or they appear to be crooked, bent, wavy or discolored, you should contact your physician immediately for an examination. Do the same test with the other eye.

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Find a Doctor

It is very important to have regular eye examinations, particularly as you age, or if you have any of the risk factors associated with age-related macular degeneration. If only one eye is affected by macular degeneration, there may be no noticeable symptoms, but a doctor can still make an accurate diagnosis. Early diagnosis and treatment may help control progression of the disease, and stabilize or even restore some vision. People under age 65 should have an eye exam at least every two years; for those over age 65, one exam per year is recommended.

Many people confuse optometrists and ophthalmologists. An optometrist has a four year post-graduate degree (following a Bachelor of Science degree) and is a Doctor of Optometry. Optometrists examine patients and prescribe treatment, normally non-surgical, such as eyeglasses and contacts. An ophthalmologist has an undergraduate degree, a four-year medical degree and four years of post-graduate training in ophthalmology. An ophthalmologist is a medical doctor and can also perform eye surgery. For those with eye diseases, such as macular degeneration, an ophthalmologist is recommended.

The following websites may be helpful in finding an eye care professional:

Find an optometrist (AOA)
http://www.aoa.org/x5428.xml

Find an ophthalmologist (AAO)
http://www.aao.org/find_eyemd.cfm

American Medical Association
http://webapps.ama-assn.org/doctorfinder/html/patient.html

WebMD
http://doctor.webmd.com/physician_finder/home.aspx?sponsor=core

Find a Doc
http://www.findadoc.com/

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Further Information

The following publications from AHAF can provide you with more information:

• Living with Macular Degeneration
• Macular Degeneration: The Essential Facts
• Amsler Grid Eye Test

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Source: The American Health Assistance Foundation is grateful to Jeffrey H. Stern, M.D., Ph.D. at the Regenerative Research Foundation in Rensselaer, New York for reviewing aspects of the above content.

Last Reviewed On: 09/11/09