macular degeration faq 2 Can the dry form turn into the wet form? Yes. All people who have the wet form had the dry form first. The dry form can advance and cause vision loss without turning into the wet form. The dry form also can suddenly turn into the wet form, even during early stage AMD. There is no way to tell if or when the dry form will turn into the wet form. Who is at risk for AMD? AMD can occur during middle age. The risk increases with aging. Other risk factors include: Smoking. Obesity. Research studies suggest a link between obesity and the progression of early and intermediate stage AMD to advanced Age-related Macular Degeneration. Race. Whites are much more likely to lose vision from AMD than African Americans. Family history. People with a family history of Age-related Macular Degeneration are at higher risk of getting the disease. Gender. Women appear to be at greater risk than men. How is AMD detected? AMD is detected during a comprehensive eye exam that includes: Visual acuity test. This eye chart test measures how well you see at various distances. Dilated eye exam. Drops are placed in your eyes to widen, or dilate, the pupils. Your eye doctor uses a special magnifying lens to examine your retina and optic nerve for signs of AMD and other eye problems. After the exam, your close-up vision may remain blurred for several hours. Tonometry uses an instrument that measures the pressure inside the eye. Numbing drops may be applied to your eye for this test. Your eye doctor also may do other tests to learn more about the structure and health of your eye. During an eye exam, you may be asked to look at an Amsler grid. The pattern of the grid resembles a checkerboard. You will cover one eye and stare at a black dot in the center of the grid. While staring at the dot, you may notice that the straight lines in the pattern appear wavy. You may notice that some of the lines are missing. These may be signs of Age-related Macular Degeneration. If your eye doctor believes you need treatment for wet Age-related Macular Degeneration, he or she may suggest a fluorescein angiogram. In this test, a special dye is injected into your arm. Pictures are taken as the dye passes through the blood vessels in your retina. The test allows your eye doctor to identify any leaking blood vessels and recommend treatment. How is dry Age-related Macular Degeneration treated? Once dry AMD reaches the advanced stage, no form of treatment can prevent vision loss. However, treatment can delay and possibly prevent intermediate AMD from progressing to the advanced stage, in which vision loss occurs. The National Eye Institute's Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) found that taking a specific high-dose formulation of antioxidants and zinc significantly reduces the risk of advanced AMD and its associated vision loss. Slowing AMD's progression from the intermediate stage to the advanced stage will save the vision of many people. What is the dosage of the AREDS formulation? The specific daily amounts of antioxidants and zinc used by the study researchers were 500 milligrams of vitamin C, 400 International Units of vitamin E, 15 milligrams of beta-carotene (often labeled as equivalent to 25,000 International Units of vitamin A), 80 milligrams of zinc as zinc oxide, and two milligrams of copper as cupric oxide. Copper was added to the AREDS formulation containing zinc to prevent copper deficiency anemia, a condition associated with high levels of zinc intake. Do not take any antioxidants or zinc without consultation of your doctor. Who should take the AREDS formulation? People who are at high risk for developing advanced AMD should consider taking the formulation. You are at high risk for developing advanced AMD if you have either: 1. Intermediate AMD in one or both eyes. OR 2. Advanced AMD (dry or wet) in one eye but not the other eye. Your eye doctor can tell you if you have AMD, its stage, and your risk for developing the advanced form. The AREDS formulation is not a cure for Age-related Macular Degeneration. It will not restore vision already lost from the disease. However, it may delay the onset of advanced AMD. It may help people who are at high risk for developing advanced AMD to keep their vision. Can people with early stage AMD take the AREDS formulation to help prevent the disease from progressing to the intermediate stage? There is no apparent need for those diagnosed with early stage AMD to take the AREDS formulation. The study did not find that the formulation provided a benefit to those with early stage AMD. If you have early stage Age-related Macular Degeneration, a comprehensive dilated eye exam every year can help determine if the disease is progressing. If early stage AMD progresses to the intermediate stage, discuss taking the formulation with your doctor.  Do not attempt to self-diagnose your condition.