If you have age-related macular degeneration (AMD), you may wonder if it’s possible to develop other eye diseases, like glaucoma. Unfortunately, the answer is yes.

Continue reading to learn more about the similarities and differences between AMD and glaucoma and what to know if you have both conditions.

How AMD and Glaucoma Affect the Eye

Both glaucoma and AMD can lead to vision loss and irreversible blindness, but they affect different parts of the eye.

How Glaucoma Affects Your Eye

Glaucoma is a term used to describe a group of eye diseases that damage the optic nerve. Your optic nerve carries images from your eye to your brain so you can see. It can be damaged by pressure buildup when the fluid in your eye doesn’t drain properly.

Glaucoma is a progressive disease, which means it gradually gets worse. It’s also the second leading cause of blindness in the world. Yet up to half of the people in the United States with glaucoma have no idea they even have it.

How Macular Degeneration Affects Your Eye

Age-related macular degeneration affects the macula, which is the central part of your retina. Located at the back of your eye, your retina controls central vision — the part that helps you read and recognize faces.

AMD is the leading cause of vision loss in the U.S. and affects nearly 20 million people in the country. Like glaucoma, AMD is a progressive disease that can sometimes lead to severe vision loss.

AMD and Glaucoma: Differences in Symptoms and Vision Changes

Age-related macular degeneration and glaucoma are common in older people, but they have some distinct differences in symptoms and vision changes.

Macular Degeneration Symptoms and Vision Changes

People with AMD may experience the following symptoms:

• Difficulty recognizing faces
• Visual distortion (straight lines appear wavy)
• Blank spots or dark spots in vision

AMD affects central vision, in one or both eyes, but it doesn’t usually lead to complete blindness. People with this condition may need bright lights for reading.

Glaucoma Symptoms and Vision Changes

Glaucoma may cause the following symptoms:

• Headaches
• Eye pain or pressure
• Red or bloodshot eyes
• Double vision or blurred vision
• Tunnel vision in advanced stages

Glaucoma affects peripheral vision, often in both eyes, and can lead to total blindness.

Diagnosis and Treatment for Each Condition

AMD and glaucoma are diagnosed and treated differently. Here’s a brief overview of diagnosis and treatments for each condition.

Diagnosis and Treatment for Glaucoma

During a routine eye exam, your ophthalmologist or optometrist will likely dilate your eyes so they can better examine your optic nerve and measure your intraocular pressure (eye pressure). If they happen to spot signs of glaucoma, they’ll likely refer you to a glaucoma specialist.

From there, a treatment plan may be developed based on the type and severity of the glaucoma. Treatments may include prescription eye drops, oral medications, laser treatment, or surgery.

The goal of any treatment plan is to keep your glaucoma from getting worse and to preserve your sight.

Diagnosis and Treatment for AMD

During a comprehensive eye exam, your healthcare provider will perform a variety of tests that check for drusen, which are tiny white or yellow spots under your retina. They’ll also look for pigmentation changes beneath your retina.

If you’re diagnosed with AMD, there is no way to cure the condition. However, there are treatment options that may help slow its progression and that can sometimes improve your vision.

Potential treatments may include supplements, medications, eye injections, and a laser treatment called photodynamic therapy. Like glaucoma, the goal with any treatment is to slow the progression of the disease and preserve as much of your eyesight as possible.

Can You Have AMD and Glaucoma?

Because glaucoma and AMD are two very different diseases affecting different parts of the eye, having one condition doesn’t necessarily put you at risk for the other, nor does one condition cause the other. That said, it’s still possible to have both at the same time.

In fact, one study found that having both conditions may be more common than people realize. Researchers also discovered that when the two conditions occur together, the consequences may be more significant.

First, having both AMD and glaucoma can result in severe vision loss that covers your entire vision field — not just your central vision as in macular degeneration or your peripheral vision as in glaucoma.

Second, when a person has both eye diseases, they’re also more likely to have other health conditions, particularly heart failure and dementia. Researchers didn’t identify why this happens, but it’s something to be aware of if you happen to develop both conditions.

Can AMD and Glaucoma Be Treated at the Same Time?

If you have both conditions, an ophthalmologist may be able to treat them separately or they may refer you to a specialist for each condition. For instance, a glaucoma specialist manages glaucoma and a retina specialist manages macular degeneration.

Likewise, treating one condition doesn’t usually take precedence over the other. Instead, the specialists treating each condition will need to coordinate care so that symptoms of both conditions are addressed and your vision is protected as much as possible.

Protecting Your Vision

Just like everything else in your body, your eyes are susceptible to the effects of aging. But you can take steps to protect your eyesight and prevent the development or progression of chronic conditions like glaucoma or AMD.

Most often, getting regular eye exams is the first step. Early detection of eye-related issues means you can receive treatment sooner to prevent disease progression and potentially preserve your eyesight.

Here are some other steps you can take:

• Quit smoking, especially since it increases your risk for eye diseases like AMD.
• Wear sunglasses that block out 99 percent to 100 percent of ultraviolet (UV) radiation, both UVA and UVB.
• Maintain a healthy weight because a high body weight can increase your risk for AMD and glaucoma.
• Exercise regularly and eat nutritious foods, especially leafy greens and fatty fish.
• Know your family’s health history because some conditions have a genetic link.
• Contact your eye doctor anytime you notice changes in your vision.

Join the Conversation

On myAMDteam people share their experiences with AMD, get advice, and find support from others who understand.

If you’ve been diagnosed with both glaucoma and AMD, what have you done to prevent further vision loss and how effective has it been? Let others know in the comments below.