When your ophthalmologist looks at the back of your eye, they can spot many changes. Some are serious and require treatment, while others cause no symptoms. Optic disc drusen and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) are chronic (long-term) eye disorders that both involve drusen deposits, though in different parts of the eye.

Many people with optic disc drusen don’t have any symptoms. However, being diagnosed with optic disc drusen may raise your risk of developing vision changes and age-related macular degeneration.

In this article, we’ll cover what optic disc drusen are, their potential symptoms, and what the research shows about their relationship to AMD.

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Potential Symptoms of Optic Disc Drusen

Optic disc drusen can develop in one or both eyes. Because they may not cause symptoms, you might not realize you have them until your ophthalmologist finds them during an eye exam.

About 87 percent of people with optic disc drusen experience some degree of visual field defects (a lost area of vision). Possible symptoms of optic disc drusen include:

• An enlarged blind spot in one or both eyes
• Blurry vision
• Brief periods of flickering, dim, gray, or blurry vision
• A loss of peripheral vision (side vision)

Do Optic Disc Drusen Need To Be Treated?

There’s no treatment that removes optic disc drusen. Trying to remove the deposits won’t help. These deposits usually aren’t serious but may cause some peripheral vision loss over time. This loss in vision is usually mild and doesn’t need to be treated.

However, having optic disc drusen may raise the risk of other eye conditions.

Are Optic Disc Drusen and AMD Related?

Though optic drusen and AMD have some commonalities, they have many differences:

• Both optic disc drusen and AMD involve drusen deposits, but in different parts of the eye.
• Optic disc drusen may be seen in children, while AMD is common in adults over the age of 50.
• While optic disc drusen can affect a person’s peripheral vision, AMD affects central vision (seeing what’s in front of you).

The conditions do share some risk factors and may have genetic links.

Similar Risk Factors

People who have optic disc drusen may be more likely to have AMD. A 2025 observational review found participants with optic disc drusen had around four times the odds of having AMD compared to those without optic disc drusen. However, the study authors acknowledged that this connection wasn’t statistically significant, so more research is needed.

Both optic disc drusen and AMD are more common in white females, according to Frontiers in Ophthalmology. Other common risk factors include:

• Smoking
• Obesity
• A family history of the condition

Possible Genetic Link

People with a family history of AMD may be more likely to develop both AMD and optic disc drusen.

A 2025 review found that the majority of participants with both optic disc drusen and AMD had a family history of AMD. According to past research, only 20 percent of people with only AMD have a family history of the condition. This may indicate that the two conditions may share a genetic link.

Because the possible inherited genetic relationship isn’t well understood, more research is needed.

Can You Lower Your Risk of AMD With Optic Disc Drusen?

If you’ve been diagnosed with optic disc drusen, you might consider asking your eye doctor about being screened for AMD.

There are several AMD risk factors that can’t be changed, including:

• Age
• Family history and genes
• Biological sex
• Aspects of racial or ethnic background

Other factors for AMD include hypertension (high blood pressure) and high cholesterol.

Although there can be genetic factors to these health conditions, it may be possible to improve these risk factors with diet, exercise, and medical treatment.

Other steps you can take that may reduce your risk for AMD include:

• Avoiding or quitting smoking
• Maintaining a healthy weight
• Eating a nutrient-dense diet
• Avoiding or limiting ultra-processed foods
• Getting regular physical activity
• Wearing sunglasses or other eye protection outdoors
• Seeing your primary healthcare provider regularly

Join the Conversation

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

Have you experienced changes in your peripheral vision that might be a sign of optic disc drusen? Let others know in the comments below.