The terms "early AMD" and "late AMD" don't refer to your age when diagnosed — they describe the stage of the disease itself.
AMD progresses through three stages:
* Early-stage dry AMD: Small or a few medium-sized drusen deposits under the macula, often with no symptoms
* Intermediate-stage dry AMD: Several medium or a few Show Full Answer
The terms "early AMD" and "late AMD" don't refer to your age when diagnosed — they describe the stage of the disease itself.
AMD progresses through three stages:
* Early-stage dry AMD: Small or a few medium-sized drusen deposits under the macula, often with no symptoms
* Intermediate-stage dry AMD: Several medium or a few large drusen deposits, possibly with mild vision changes
* Late-stage AMD: Called geographic atrophy (advanced dry AMD) or wet AMD, with significant damage to the macula and more severe vision loss
The disease can progress at different rates for different people. Some people's AMD progresses quickly, while for others it takes years. AMD typically affects people as they age, but the staging is based on how much damage has occurred in your eye, not how old you are when it happens.
Your eye doctor determines which stage you're in by examining your retina and looking at the size and number of drusen deposits, as well as any damage to the macular tissue.
November 26, 2025
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