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Age-related macular degeneration (AMD): the signs, who is at risk, the eye exam, AREDS 2 supplements, and treatment
For anyone age 55 or older, or with AMD in the family, who wants to protect their eyesight; anyone just told they have AMD, dry or wet; anyone who sees straight lines look wavy or a blurry spot in the middle of their vision; anyone wondering about AREDS 2 vitamins; anyone facing eye injections; and anyone finding reading, faces or cooking harder. The National Eye Institute (NEI, part of the NIH) says AMD is an eye disease that can blur your central vision; that it is a leading cause of vision loss for older adults but does not cause complete blindness; that early AMD has no symptoms, so regular eye exams matter; that straight lines looking wavy is a warning sign to see your eye doctor right away; and that wet AMD has effective treatments. This page passes on, by name, what NEI says: the signs stage by stage, dry and wet AMD and who is at risk, the eye exam, healthy choices and AREDS 2 supplements, treatment for wet AMD, and living with low vision. It builds the words to say to an eye doctor, and prints a card to keep.
Right now
- Straight lines suddenly look wavy or crooked? See your eye doctor right away: it is a warning sign for late AMD (NEI). Pain or worsening vision after an eye injection: call your eye doctor right away; it could be an infection (NEI). If your vision is suddenly lost, or you cannot reach them, go to an emergency room, and call 911 if you cannot get there; do not drive yourself (ours).
- Thoughts of suicide? Call or text 988, any hour (ours).
More help
- Linked to it, on this site: Eye care · Low vision · Cataracts · Glaucoma · Diabetic retinopathy · Quit smoking · High blood pressure · High cholesterol · Getting older.
- Care and costs: When you need a doctor and can’t pay · Rides to medical care · My medicines list · When medicine costs too much · Get ready for your appointment.
- In a crisis: Help right now (988, 911). All our free tools.
Your eyes or your sight, and not sure this is the right page? The pages on this site for a hurt or pink eye, glaucoma, cataracts, diabetes and the eyes, macular degeneration, a detached retina, fading sight and eye care you can afford, on one list.
This page and its wording were written with AI (Claude) for Scarlet Beast (our AI policy). No doctor or nurse has reviewed it. The facts were read on October 16, 2026 on five National Eye Institute (NIH) pages: Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) and AREDS 2 Supplements for AMD (both last updated June 22, 2021: NEI’s current pages, though not recently updated), Treatments for Wet AMD (December 5, 2024), Injections to Treat Eye Conditions (March 24, 2026) and Low Vision (November 25, 2025). Ours: going to an emergency room if your vision is suddenly lost or you cannot reach your eye doctor, 911 if you cannot get there, and not driving yourself; 988 for thoughts of suicide; not starting AREDS 2 until your eye doctor says it fits your stage; what to bring to a dilated exam; the questions to ask at a visit; rides, health centers and medicine costs when money is tight; and the order of the steps. What we left out: the amount of each AREDS 2 ingredient (NEI’s supplements page lists them for checking a label), the name of the medicine used in photodynamic therapy, every brand, research news (treatments still being studied), clinical trials, and pages for providers. This page saves nothing and loads no trackers.