Proven Facts You Should Know About Macular Degeneration

Eye Exams Can Detect Macular Degeneration

Although early symptoms of macular degeneration may be hard to detect or they may not exist at all, only a comprehensive dilated eye exam can detect the disease. A dilated eye exam occurs when the eyes are dilated by using eye drops so the doctor can view the back of the eye and check the optic nerve for signs of disease. The exam may also include a visual acuity test, which checks how well a person sees long distance.

Other Eye Exams May Be Conducted

Eye doctors look for yellow deposits located beneath the retina known as drusen when performing a dilated eye exam. In addition to a dilated eye exam, an eye doctor may perform an optical coherence tomography, which is an ultrasound that uses light waves to take pictures of the tissues in the eye to search for abnormalities. Amsler grid is a test that can be used to verify a person’s central vision accuracy. Fluorescein angiograms occur when a dye is injected into the patient’s arm, and pictures are taken as the dye passes through the blood vessels in the eyes.