February is Age-Related Macular Degeneration Awareness

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is an eye condition that affects a tiny part of the retina at the back of your eye, which is called the macula.

AMD causes problems with your central vision, but does not lead to total loss of sight and is not painful. AMD affects the vision you use when you’re looking directly at something, for example when you’re reading, looking at photos or watching television. AMD may make this central vision distorted or blurry and, over a period of time, it may cause a blank patch in the center of your vision.

Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness among older Americans, but new treatments have dramatically changed the course of this disease over the last 10 years, making AMD more manageable than ever before.

During AMD Awareness Month in February, the Sonomed Escalon is reminding people with AMD that they can save their vision thanks to recent treatment advances, but early detection is a critical first step.