NEW YORK, Sep 30 (Reuters Health) -- Few Americans are aware that age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of legal blindness among older adults, and many fail to have the routine eye exams that can catch the disease early on, survey results show.
The public is "not aware of AMD, how to detect it or the available options for its treatment and rehabilitation," Dr. Robert Thompson said in a statement. Thompson is the chairman of the AMD Alliance International, which commissioned the survey of nearly 7,000 adults, aged 18 and older in the United States, Canada, and five European countries.
AMD is a degenerative eye disease that causes the loss of central vision but leaves peripheral vision intact. The disease strikes an estimated 13 million Americans and as many as 30 million adults worldwide. Yet the Alliance survey showed that just 3% of US respondents knew AMD is the leading cause of legal blindness among adults older than age 50 in the Western world. Further, about 70% said they were "not familiar" with AMD.
Although there is no cure for AMD, patients may maintain their functioning through low-vision aids such as glasses with telescopic lenses. Laser surgery may be an option for some patients with more severe AMD, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO).
The AAO recommends that all adults ages 40 to 64 have an eye exam every 2 to 4 years in order to detect eye disease in the early stages. Those 65 and older should have a routine exam every 1 to 2 years. In the survey, though, 27% of US respondents said they had exams infrequently or never had them.
AMD has two forms, dry and wet. Dry AMD, which accounts for about 90% of cases, occurs when the macula -- an area on the retina responsible for clear central vision -- thins, usually causing milder vision loss. Wet AMD, while far less common, is more likely to cause serious vision loss. In this form, blood vessels leak fluid and blood that can create large blind spots in the center of the field of vision.
AMD symptoms include increasingly blurry or fuzzy vision, perceiving straight lines as wavy, and seeing dark or empty areas in the central line of vision.
