How is age-related macular degeneration diagnosed?
If you develop symptoms suggestive of ARMD your doctor or optometrist will refer you to an eye specialist (ophthalmologist). The specialist may ask you to look at a special piece of paper with horizontal and vertical lines. If you find that any section of the lines are missing or distorted then ARMD is a likely cause of the visual problem. The ophthalmologist will examine the back of your eye with a magnifier. There are typical changes that occur with dry-ARMD and wet-ARMD which can often be seen.
If wet-ARMD is diagnosed or suspected, then a further test called fluorescein angiography may be done. For this test a dye is injected into a vein in your arm. Then, by looking into your eyes with a magnifier and taking pictures with a special camera, the ophthalmologist can see where any dye leaks into the macula from the abnormal leaky blood vessels. This test can give an indication of the extent and severity of the condition.
Another test called ocular coherance tomography is becomming more commonly used. This is a non-invasive test that uses special light rays to 'scan' the retina. It can give very detailied information about the macula, and show if the macula is thickened or abnormal. This test is useful when there is doubt about wheter AMD is the wet or dry form. It is also a useful test to assess the result of any treatment.
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