Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of severe vision loss in people over 60. It specifically destroys central vision — the sharp sight needed for reading, recognising faces, and driving — while leaving peripheral vision largely intact. For families in Punjab with aging parents, knowing the signs can make the difference between treatable and untreatable disease.
The macula is a small but critically important zone at the centre of the retina — about the size of a pencil tip. It is responsible for all your sharp, detailed, central vision — everything you see when you look directly at something. AMD is the deterioration of this central zone. Peripheral vision is largely preserved, but fine central vision progressively fails.
The more common form. Tiny deposits called drusen accumulate beneath the macula, and the macular tissue gradually thins and breaks down over years. The decline is typically slow. While there is no curative treatment, the AREDS2 nutritional supplement formula has been shown to slow progression in intermediate-stage dry AMD.
Abnormal blood vessels grow beneath the macula and leak fluid or blood, causing rapid and severe damage — vision loss can occur over days or weeks. However, wet AMD is treatable. Anti-VEGF injections, started promptly, stabilise or improve vision in the majority of patients. This is why urgent specialist review is so important.
Many people do not notice AMD until it affects both eyes. Encourage older relatives to test each eye separately (cover one eye at a time). Warning signs include:
Dr. Neha Khanna specialises in retinal diseases including AMD, with specific expertise in:
The gold standard for wet AMD worldwide. Medications such as ranibizumab or bevacizumab are injected into the eye in a quick, well-tolerated clinic procedure. They block the growth signal for abnormal vessels, stopping leakage and allowing the retina to recover. Most patients need monthly injections initially, with frequency reducing as the condition stabilises.
For dry AMD, regular high-resolution OCT imaging tracks progression and guides supplementation recommendations. Starting AREDS2 supplements at the right stage slows conversion to advanced AMD.
Older patients often dismiss gradual vision changes as an inevitable part of ageing and do not mention them to family members or doctors until vision loss is advanced. If your parent or grandparent is holding reading material at arm's length, has stopped reading, seems not to recognise faces clearly, or has reduced confidence moving around — please bring them in for an examination.
At Atmos, we offer patient, unhurried consultations for elderly patients and their families. We serve patients from Zirakpur, Mohali, Derabassi, Panchkula, and all of greater Chandigarh.
Book a consultation with Dr. Neha Khanna at Atmos Eye & Retina Centre, Zirakpur. Most appointments within 1–2 days.