5 Wet Macular Degeneration Myths
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5 Wet Macular Degeneration Myths

Early detection and treatment for wet AMD is essential, so it’s important to educate yourself about this eye condition. Here’s how to separate myth from fact.
5 Wet Macular Degeneration Myths
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Updated on May 3, 2024
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Many misconceptions exist related to wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a chronic eye condition that causes vision loss. Even though wet AMD progresses rapidly, early treatment may help keep it from getting worse. That’s why it’s important to educate yourself and get the facts about wet AMD. Start with these five debunked myths.

1. Myth: Wet AMD and Dry AMD Are Separate Conditions

There are two types of AMD — wet and dry — but they’re not separate conditions. Wet macular degeneration is always preceded by dry AMD, though dry AMD doesn’t always progress to the wet form. About 90 percent of AMD cases are dry, while 10 percent are wet.

Both involve deterioration of the macula, the center of the retina that provides clear central vision. In dry AMD, small white or yellowish deposits called drusen form beneath the macula over time, causing it to deteriorate. In wet AMD, abnormal blood vessels grow under the retina toward the macula. The blood vessels are incompletely formed and can leak, and this leaking can cause vision loss.

Wet-vs-Dry-Age-Related-Macular-Degeneration-1440x810

Both dry and wet AMD cause changes in the macula, the part of the retina responsible for clear, straight-ahead vision.

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2. Myth: A Family History of Wet AMD Means You Will Get It Yourself

“There is a family predisposition to wet AMD,” says Mark Blecher, MD, an ophthalmologist and cataract surgeon at Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia. “But just because you have a relative who has wet AMD doesn’t mean that you will develop it yourself.”

Other risk factors include some you can’t control — advancing age, race, genes — and some you can — smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and long-term exposure to the sun without eye protection — according to the American Society of Retina Specialists.

 Stopping smoking is one of the most effective things a person can do to decrease their risk of developing AMD. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, people who smoke cigarettes are up to four times more likely to develop AMD than those who don't. 

What Are Some Common Misconceptions About Wet Age-Related Macular Degeneration?

Calvin W. Roberts, MD, an ophthalmologist and clinical professor at Weill Cornell Medical College, explains the common misconceptions with wet age-related macular degeneration.
What Are Some Common Misconceptions About Wet Age-Related Macular Degeneration?

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3. Myth: There’s Nothing You Can Do to Prevent the Progression of Wet Macular Degeneration

“Dramatic improvements of wet AMD are possible, and the sooner the treatment starts the better,” Dr. Blecher says, adding that treatment for wet AMD varies from person to person.

Wet macular degeneration progresses rapidly, making it important to schedule regular checkups with your eye doctor as you get older. The sooner you catch wet AMD, the sooner treatment can start. Early and sustained treatment is your best chance to preserve as much vision as possible, according to the American Macular Degeneration Foundation (AMDF).

In most cases, injections into the eye can prevent wet AMD from becoming worse.

 It’s also important to manage the eye-health risk factors that you can control: Maintain an appropriate weight; eat a healthy, nutrient-rich diet; don’t smoke; and keep your blood pressure and cholesterol within normal range, the National Eye Institute (NEI) says.


4. Myth: People With Wet Macular Degeneration Eventually Go Blind

A diagnosis of macular degeneration doesn’t mean you’ll lose your vision. AMD affects central vision and, if not treated properly, can reduce your ability to read, drive, and recognize faces, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO). But the AAO also notes that of the 10 to 20 percent of people who develop wet AMD, about 90 percent can stabilize or even improve their vision with consistent treatment.

5. Myth: The Visual Hallucinations That Sometimes Accompany Wet AMD May Be a Sign of Mental Illness

Between 10 and 40 percent of people with wet or dry AMD who have significant vision loss experience visual hallucinations, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

 You might see simple things, such as patterns of colors or shapes, or more detailed pictures of people, landscapes, animals, or buildings. The hallucinations are quite vivid and can last for seconds, minutes, or hours, according to the AAO.

Often the images you see don’t fit into what’s in front of you. This is known as Charles Bonnet syndrome, named for a Swiss philosopher in the 1700s who was considered the first person to describe it, according to the BrightFocus Foundation.

These hallucinations can be alarming, but they’re not a sign of mental illness. Symptoms may improve with time. And you may be able to manage symptoms with brighter lighting, especially at night, blinking or closing your eyes, and keeping your stress in check.

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Michael W. Stewart, MD

Medical Reviewer

Michael W. Stewart, MD, is professor and chairman of ophthalmology at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, and the Knights Templar Eye Foundation Professor of Ophthalmology Research. He graduated with honors in chemistry from Harvard College in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and from the McGill University Faculty of Medicine in Montreal. He completed an internship in internal medicine at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami and an ophthalmology residency at Emory University in Atlanta. Dr. Stewart completed vitreoretinal fellowships at Touro Infirmary in New Orleans and at the University of California Davis.

His research interests include diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration, retinal vein occlusions, and infectious retinitis. He has a particular interest in retinal pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, and the mathematical modeling of ocular diseases and treatments.

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Beth W. Orenstein

Author

Beth W. Orenstein is a freelance writer for HealthDay, Radiology Today, the Living Well section of The American Legion Magazine, St. Luke’s University Health Network, and others. She is a magna cum laude graduate of Tufts University (1978), where she majored in English and was editor of the student newspaper for three years.

No matter the weather around her eastern Pennsylvania home, Orenstein either bikes 25 to 30 miles or walks at least 6 miles every day. Her one indulgence is blueberry pancakes — but only after biking a long distance.

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Resources
  1. Age-Related Macular Degeneration: Facts and Figures. BrightFocus Foundation. March 7, 2023.
  2. Age-Related Macular Degeneration. American Society of Retina Specialists.
  3. How Smoking Can Contribute to Vision Loss and Blindness. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. April 26, 2022.
  4. Wet Macular Degeneration. American Macular Degeneration Foundation.
  5. Anti-VEGF Treatments. American Academy of Ophthalmology. July 26, 2023.
  6. Keep Your Eyes Healthy. National Eye Institute. May 19, 2021.
  7. What to Know After a Macular Degeneration Diagnosis. American Academy of Ophthalmology. March 17, 2023.
  8. Why You Experience Visual Hallucinations With Wet AMD. Cleveland Clinic. September 27, 2023.
  9. Visual Hallucinations Surprisingly Common in Age-Related Macular Degeneration. American Academy of Ophthalmology. January 23, 2023.
  10. Hallucinations & Macular Degeneration: What Is Charles Bonnet Syndrome? BrightFocus Foundation. July 8, 2021.
  11. Charles Bonnet Syndrome. Cleveland Clinic. September 15, 2022.