Symptoms
Typically, wet AMD results in severe vision loss. These symptoms may come on suddenly and worsen quickly, even though the underlying problem has been developing over a long period of time. Wet AMD may affect only one eye or both.
Wet AMD affects the central part of your visual field, not the peripheral areas. Because of this, it rarely causes total blindness. The central area of your visual field may have a blind spot, or this area may become very blurry.
Some other specific symptoms include:
- Decreased color brightness
- Visual distortions (e.g., a straight object appearing to bend)
- General haziness of vision
Causes
To understand what causes wet AMD, it’s helpful to understand a little about your eye. Your macula is part of your retina that is located at the back part of your eye. It helps provide the sharp vision that you have in the center of your visual field when looking straight ahead.
The macula has many light-sensing cells that send electrical signals via the optic nerve to the brain. This process puts together the images that we see.
Environmental and Genetic Factors
AMD (and wet AMD specifically) are probably caused by a combination of environmental and genetic factors that are still not completely understood.
Some of the factors thought to increase one’s risk of getting AMD are:
- History of smoking
- Family history of AMD
- Previous cataract surgery
- Cardiovascular risk factors (such as known atherosclerosis, high cholesterol, or high blood pressure)
- White racial background
Types
Wet macular degeneration is a specific subtype of age-related macular degeneration. In the dry version of AMD, there aren’t the same kinds of abnormal blood vessels beneath the eye. However, there may be other problems causing more gradual damage to the light-sensing cells of the macula.
Treatment
Anti-VEGF drugs have revolutionized the treatment for wet AMD. In some cases, these injections help the person to at least partly improve their vision.
By blocking the signaling of the VEGF molecules, these drugs inhibit the excess formation of new blood vessels in the eye.
These drugs are injected into the eye, sometimes scheduled multiple times a month. Before having an injection, your eye would be numbed and cleaned with an antiseptic drop. After injections, you may need to take antibiotic eye drops and injections may be less frequent after the initial treatment.
Some of the anti-VEGF drugs prescribed for wet AMD include:
- Vabysmo (faricimab)
- Lucent (ranibizumab)
- Avastin (bevacizumab)
- Eylea or Eylea HD (aflibercept)
- Beovu (brolicizumab)
Photodynamic Therapy and Laser Photocoagulation Surgery
Your healthcare provider may suggest these options if you are still having issues after trying anti-VEGF therapies. They also may be an option if you have wet AMD with particular anatomical characteristics. They are sometimes used along with anti-VEGF drugs.
Nutritional Supplements
Some evidence shows that certain nutritional supplements may help slow vision loss in people who have wet AMD, though it will not restore vision that’s already lost. It also might help prevent the development of wet AMD in your other eye.
In clinical trials, the combination of nutrients and antioxidants found to be helpful were:
- Vitamin C (500 milligrams)
- Vitamin E (400 International units)
- Zinc (80 milligrams zinc oxide)
- Copper (2 milligrams cupric oxide)
- Lutein (10 milligrams)
- Zeaxanthin (2 milligrams)
Coping
Some people find it very hard to cope with AMD, especially if treatment is unable to restore their vision loss. Understandably, it can be a real psychological and physical challenge to cope if you are having problems performing your everyday tasks. Many people report depression and reduced quality of life from these visual changes. You may need to go through a grief process before you can accept your life and move forward.
A Word From Verywell
It can be a shock to learn that you have a serious medical problem like wet age-related macular degeneration. Realistically, the condition is likely to disrupt your everyday life, at least for a while. Fortunately, there are now treatment options that may be able to help restore your vision and health professionals who can help you make the most of your situation. Learning what you can about your treatment options can help give you a sense of control.
