When you live with age-related macular degeneration (AMD), you may pay close attention to what you see from one day to the next. Is that line on the Amsler grid more distorted than it was yesterday? Is one eye blurrier? Did something disappear from view and then come back?

In conversations on myAMDteam like this one, “What’s one thing that’s helped you adjust to vision changes in daily life?” members have described noticing changes while reading, looking at faces, riding in a car, and checking their vision at home. Some also said monitoring can bring uncertainty or anxiety, especially when they aren’t sure what a change means.

Tracking your vision can help you describe what you’re experiencing to your eye care professional. But noticing a change and knowing what caused it are two different things. A new or worsening change should be evaluated by an eye care professional.

Here are five experiences myAMDteam members have shared about monitoring their vision.

Some members describe noticeable differences in their vision from one day to another.

“I have good days and bad days with my vision,” one myAMDteam member shared.

“I have good days and bad days with my vision.”

 

— A myAMDteam member

For another member, a change became noticeable while riding in a car: “My husband was driving, and I wasn’t wearing my glasses. … Everything was quite blurry. Usually that’s not the case. I’ve noticed since then that, even with my glasses, my right eye is blurry.”

Experiences like these can make it difficult to know whether a change is temporary or something that needs medical attention. Rather than trying to determine the cause yourself, pay attention to how the change differs from what you normally see.

What Changes Should You Track?

If something about your vision seems different, make note of:

• When you first noticed the change
• Whether it affects one eye or both eyes
• Whether it comes and goes, stays the same, or gets worse
• What you were doing when you noticed it, such as reading, watching television, or driving
• Whether the change involves blurriness, waviness, a dark or gray area, a blank spot, or difficulty recognizing details

This information can help you describe the change to your eye care professional.

Changes in vision don’t always mean that everything simply looks blurry. People with AMD may:

One myAMDteam member with advanced dry AMD explained how unpredictable these changes could seem: “What happens each day is a surprise. Things disappear and reappear. I can’t recognize people either in person or on TV. If I blink or wait long enough, the features show up.”

“I can’t recognize people either in person or on TV. If I blink or wait long enough, the features show up.”

 

— A myAMDteam member

Another member described noticing wavy, distorted lines and following the instructions they’d been given to call the doctor’s office. They were then referred twice for further evaluation by other specialists.

The second member’s experience also shows the value of knowing what your eye care professional wants you to do if your vision changes. The instructions may depend on your AMD type, stage, and history in each eye.

When Should You Call Your Eye Care Professional?

Ask your eye care professional which changes they want you to report and how quickly you should contact them.

If you notice a new, sudden, or worsening change in your vision, contact an eye care professional rather than relying on another person’s AMD experience to determine what it means.

When you already have AMD, it can be tempting to connect every vision change to the condition. Members’ comments show why figuring out what’s behind blurry or distorted vision isn’t always straightforward.

One myAMDteam member wondered about several possibilities: “I’m blurry in only one eye. I’m going to check on whether this is from dry eye. I use drops, though.”

Another member noticed vision changes years after cataract surgery: “I had the cataract surgery six years ago. I had clear vision, could read without glasses, etc. But for the last two years now, blurry vision.”

“I had the cataract surgery six years ago. I had clear vision, could read without glasses, etc. But for the last two years now, blurry vision.”

 

— A myAMDteam member

Neither experience tells us what caused that person’s symptoms. Other eye conditions can also affect how straight lines look.

Why Is an Eye Exam Important?

Blurry or changing vision can have different possible causes, so having AMD doesn’t necessarily explain every change you notice. Instead of trying to diagnose the problem yourself, write down what seems different and discuss it with your eye care professional. A comprehensive eye exam can help them evaluate your retina, macula, and overall vision.

Some people with AMD are familiar with the Amsler grid, a square grid with a dot in the middle that can help you check for changes in central vision at home. But using a monitoring tool doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll feel confident about what you’re seeing.

For one myAMDteam member, frequent checking seemed to increase anxiety: “How many times a day do you check your eyes using the Amsler grid? I think I check too many, causing more anxiety for me.”

Another member wasn’t confident about interpreting the grid: “I have trouble with the Amsler grid, not sure what I’m seeing sometimes with it.”

“I have trouble with the Amsler grid, not sure what I’m seeing sometimes with it.”

 

— A myAMDteam member

The Amsler grid isn’t the only tool available for monitoring vision at home. Depending on a person’s type and stage of AMD, options may include:

One myAMDteam member described starting the process of using a prescription home-monitoring device: “I’ve tested myself for four straight days with no changes to my eyes. Keeping my fingers crossed everything remains stable.”

These technologies are intended to supplement, not replace, regular eye care. They also differ in what they measure, who may be eligible to use them, how results are reviewed, and how much evidence supports their use.