At what age should AMD screening begin?
AMD mainly affects people over 55 — but it starts silently. Here is the age and frequency at which to monitor your macula, and the simple test you can do at home.
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of visual impairment after 50 in Western countries. It affects the macula, the central part of the retina that lets you read, recognise a face or drive. The good news: when detected early, its most aggressive form can be treated effectively.
The right age: 55, sometimes earlier
In the absence of risk factors, a macular check is recommended from the age of 55, as part of the usual eye examination. Screening becomes more frequent and starts earlier in several situations:
- a family history of AMD (the risk is markedly higher if a close relative is affected);
- smoking, current or past, the main avoidable risk factor;
- high myopia, or fair skin and light-coloured eyes.
After 60, a check every 1 to 2 years is a good habit, even without any noticeable problem.
Why not wait for symptoms
At the start, usually only one eye is affected: the other compensates, and you notice nothing. By the time symptoms appear — straight lines that look wavy, a blurred spot in the centre, needing more light to read — the disease is already established. Screening by OCT (macular tomography) detects the very first abnormalities, before any loss of vision.
A form that is treated better the earlier it is caught
Wet AMD, the faster form, is treated with intravitreal injections that stabilise — or even improve — vision. Their effectiveness depends largely on how early the diagnosis is made: a few weeks can make the difference. Hence the importance of being seen without delay as soon as any distortion appears.
At the practice
The macular assessment (fundus examination, OCT and, if needed, OCT angiography without injection) is done in a single visit, on site in Noisy-le-Grand. It is painless and most often does not require prolonged dilation.