What are the stages of ARMD?

There are three stages of ARMD defined in part by the size and number of drusen under the retina. It is possible to have ARMD in one eye only, or to have one eye with a later stage of ARMD than the other.

• Early ARMD. This is diagnosed by the presence of medium-sized drusen. People with early ARMD typically do not have vision loss.
• Intermediate AMD. People with intermediate ARMD typically have large drusen, pigment changes in the retina, or both. Intermediate ARMD may cause some vision loss, but most people will not experience any symptoms.
• Late ARMD. In addition to drusen, people with late ARMD have vision loss from damage to the macula. There are two categories:
  • In geographic atrophy (also called dry ARMD), there is a gradual breakdown of the light-sensitive cells in the macula that convey visual information to the brain, and of the supporting tissue beneath the macula. These changes cause vision loss.
  • In neovascular ARMD (also called wet ARMD), abnormal blood vessels grow underneath the retina. These vessels leak fluid and blood, which leads to swelling and damage of the macula. The damage may be rapid and severe, unlike the more gradual course of geographic atrophy. It is possible to have both dry and wet ARMD in the same eye.

ARMD has few symptoms in the early stages, so if you are at risk for ARMD because of age, family history, lifestyle, or some combination of these factors, you should routinely get your eyes checked up from an ophthalmologist.