AMD Awareness Month

To help inform baby boomers and others over 60 of their risk of AMD, the Sight & Hearing Association is distributing free information during the February observance of AMD awareness month. AMD is an eye disease that attacks a small but important part of the eye called the macula, which is responsible for the most sensitive central part of vision. People affected by the disease often have trouble with many daily tasks such as reading and driving.

About 1.7 million people in the United States are legally blind and are unable to read, drive, watch television or recognize faces because of macular degeneration. More than 11 million have signs of the disease, and about 200,000 new cases are diagnosed each year.

There are two forms of AMD that affect older Americans. In “dry” AMD, the tissues in the macula break down or become thin. While there currently is not effective treatment for this common form of AMD, vision loss tends to be moderate and slow.

In “wet” AMD, the more severe form of the disease, tiny blood vessels begin to grow and proliferate under the macula. These weak vessels often break and leak blood and fluid into the surrounding tissue, damaging vision. In approximately 20 percent of the cases diagnosed early, laser treatment can prevent further loss of vision from “wet” AMD.

It is one problem you can test for yourself by using the Amsler Grid (see illustration). To receive a free Amsler Grid and a fact sheet about AMD, call the Sight & Hearing Association at 612/645-2546 or 800/992-0424, or for larger quantities, check out our products page on our web site.