Understanding and Coping With Wet Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Macular DegenerationYour Guide to Managing Wet AMD

4 Ways to Stay Positive When You Have Wet Macular Degeneration

Wet AMD can lead to a loss of central vision, which can be scary. But treatment is now better than ever, and there are many ways to cope and to get support.
4 Ways to Stay Positive When You Have Wet Macular Degeneration
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Updated on May 9, 2024
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When you think of your golden years, you most likely picture enjoying time with family and friends and devoting more energy to hobbies and other pursuits. One thing you probably don’t anticipate is losing your vision, which is possible if you develop wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

“Age-related macular degeneration is a condition that affects many of our seniors as they get older, as age is the leading risk factor,” says Rahul N. Khurana, MD, a retina specialist at Northern California Retina Vitreous Associates in Mountain View and an associate clinical professor of ophthalmology at the University of California in San Francisco.

Macular degeneration begins with what is called dry AMD, which typically causes no symptoms. It tends to start in one eye but can eventually develop in both.

Dry AMD can progress to wet AMD. When this occurs, you will begin to experience vision loss. “Most specifically, [wet AMD affects your] ability to read, watch TV, and see other peoples’ faces,” Dr. Khurana notes. “It affects basically all of your central vision.”

How Wet AMD Affects Your Mental Health

Finding out you have wet AMD can trigger all sorts of emotional reactions: surprise, shock, fear, anxiety, denial, sadness, and more. Any and all of these are completely valid responses.

When wet AMD damages central vision, it can lead to further problems, such as depression and a loss of independence. “Losing your vision is a very scary thing,” Khurana says. “People become socially withdrawn, regress, and no longer do the activities that bring them joy in life.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that 1 in 4 adults with vision loss report depression or anxiety.

 And research has shown that people diagnosed with AMD have a higher risk of developing depression — a risk that is even greater in people with AMD who have visual disability related to the condition.

 A review of research published in Clinical Ophthalmology underscores the fact that “vision loss affects all aspects of one’s life” and “that mental health problems are a significant burden for many people with vision impairment.”

 What’s more, these mental health concerns have often been overlooked, historically.

While it can be difficult to accept a diagnosis of wet AMD, the good news is that treatment is far more advanced now than it was only a few decades ago. When treatment is combined with certain modifications and adaptations, you can still maintain a good quality of life.

Learning to Cope With Wet AMD

Wet AMD is now treated with anti–vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) therapy, in which medicine is injected into the eye by an ophthalmologist. This halts the progression of the condition, notes the National Eye Institute (NEI), preventing further vision loss — something that wasn’t possible before.

In order to maintain their effectiveness, anti-VEGF injections are an ongoing therapy that usually requires a number of treatments over time. Your eye doctor will recommend an injection schedule to help stop vision loss, according to the NEI.

“If we can treat wet AMD in early stages,” says Khurana, “the outcomes are very good.”

Even if wet AMD is not caught early, there are many steps you can take to improve your quality of life. Here are some ways to be proactive and stay positive while living with wet AMD.

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Seek Resources and Support

There are many resources for low vision. Ask your ophthalmologist or retina specialist to refer you for an evaluation with a low-vision specialist. These professionals can get a sense of your vision and current needs and assist you in obtaining tools that can help, such as magnifiers and telescopes, or suggest nearby support groups. They can also refer you for a home evaluation; you'll get suggestions on how to modify your home to avoid falls and improve lighting to maximize your vision. Research suggests that low-vision rehabilitation reduces the risk of depression for people with AMD.

RELATED: 6 Reasons to Join a Support Group When You Have Wet AMD

Stay Engaged in the World

Don’t let macular degeneration or vision problems isolate you. Enlist family and friends to help you stay socially active while maintaining as much independence as possible. For example, you might ask a friend to drive the two of you to a restaurant if your vision makes driving difficult, and you can bring a magnifier so you can read the menu without assistance.

Leverage Social Media

Online platforms, such as Facebook and Instagram, can be a boon for people with low vision. Not only do these social media sites help you keep social ties, but they are also accessible to people with low vision through tools such as screen readers, automatic alt-text for images, and adjustable font sizes. In addition, social media can help connect you to other people with wet AMD through online support groups.

Keep Up Your Treatment

While currently available treatments for wet AMD can help preserve your vision, they aren’t a cure. That means you’ll still need to see your ophthalmologist or retina specialist regularly for routine care and injections.

“This is a chronic condition. It requires regular treatment and monitoring,” says Khurana. While the frequency of your doctor’s visits will depend on how active your eye disease is, some people with wet AMD get anti-VEGF treatment once a month.

There’s promising evidence that this won’t always be the case, though. A preliminary study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation found that as many as one-third of people with wet AMD may be able to safely stop eye injection therapy after their condition has stabilized, without further vision loss.

Newer treatments designed to slow wet AMD progression with fewer or no injections are already in development, says Khurana. If you struggle with depression associated with your wet AMD, talk to your ophthalmologist or primary care doctor about treatment options.

It’s also important to stay active and eat healthy. Exercise can improve your mood and reduce stress.

 A diet full of foods with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, like the Mediterranean diet, can help slow the progression of AMD and may help ease symptoms of depression.

By following these steps, you can make the most of your sight and prevent further vision problems with wet AMD.

RELATED: New Directions: What’s Coming Down the Pike in Wet AMD Treatment

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Edmund Tsui, MD

Medical Reviewer

Edmund Tsui, MD, is an assistant professor of ophthalmology at the Jules Stein Eye Institute in the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.

He earned his medical degree from Dartmouth. He completed an ophthalmology residency at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine, where he was chief resident, followed by a fellowship in uveitis and ocular inflammatory disease at the Francis I. Proctor Foundation for Research in Ophthalmology at the University of California in San Francisco.

Dr. Tsui is committed to advancing the field of ophthalmology. His research focuses on utilizing state-of-the-art ophthalmic imaging technology to improve the diagnosis and monitoring of uveitis. He is a co-investigator in several multicenter clinical trials investigating therapeutics for uveitis. He is the author of over 80 peer-reviewed publications and has given talks at national and international conferences.

Along with his clinical and research responsibilities, Tsui teaches medical students and residents. He is on the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology's professional development and education committee, as well as the advocacy and outreach committee, which seeks to increase funding and awareness of vision research. He also serves on the editorial board of Ophthalmology and the executive committee of the American Uveitis Society.

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Erica Patino

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Erica Patino is a freelance writer and editor, content strategist, and usability specialist who has worked for a variety of online health outlets, including Healthline, Sharecare, and Twill Care. She was previously a senior editor at Everyday Health. She is also the founder and editor-in-chief of Hear 2 Tell, a website that covers advances in hearing loss treatment. Patino lives in Portland, Oregon, with her husband and twin sons.
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Resources
  1. Vision Loss and Mental Health. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. September 27, 2021.
  2. Hwang S et al. Impact of Age-Related Macular Degeneration and Related Visual Disability on the Risk of Depression. Ophthalmology. January 27, 2023.
  3. Demmin DL et al. Visual Impairment and Mental Health: Unmet Needs and Treatment Options. Clinical Ophthalmology. December 3, 2020.
  4. Treatments for Wet AMD (Advanced Neovascular AMD). National Eye Institute. June 22, 2021.
  5. Senra H et al. Psychological and Psychosocial Interventions for Depression and Anxiety in Patients With Age-Related Macular Degeneration: A Systematic Review. American Journal of Geriatric Psychology. August 2019.
  6. Cao X et al. Aqueous Proteins Help Predict the Response of Patients With Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration to Anti-VEGF Therapy. Journal of Clinical Investigation. January 18, 2022.