Powered By
Getting ready for your first eye injection for wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) can feel intimidating. It may help you feel better prepared to know exactly what will happen before, during, and after your appointment.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to your first injection visit, from how to prepare to what the injection may feel like and what to expect during recovery.
The most common treatment for wet AMD is a type of medication called an anti-VEGF drug. VEGF, which stands for vascular endothelial growth factor, helps blood vessels grow. In wet AMD, blocking VEGF helps slow the growth and leakage of abnormal blood vessels that can damage vision.
Anti-VEGF medications are injected directly into the gel-filled space inside the eye, a procedure called an intravitreal injection. Delivering the medicine directly into the eye allows it to target the area that needs treatment while limiting how much of the drug reaches the rest of the body.
Treatment usually involves repeat injections. Your ophthalmologist will recommend a schedule based on how your eye responds. They’ll check your response using eye exams and imaging such as optical coherence tomography (OCT).
Sign up to view the results!
Continue with Facebook
Continue with Email
An eye injection for macular degeneration is generally administered in an ophthalmologist’s office by a trained specialist.
The exact setup may vary from practice to practice. You’ll likely be seated in a reclined exam chair.
Your experience may look different, so don’t worry if it doesn’t exactly match what you’ve heard from someone else.
You usually don’t need to do much before an injection appointment, but be sure to follow any instructions your eye care team gives you. Because individual practices may have their own routines, your ophthalmologist is the best source for instructions.
If you normally wear contact lenses, you’ll most likely need to wear glasses to the appointment instead.
It may also help to tell your doctor if you’re especially nervous. Anxiety about eye injections is common, but your doctor can explain ways to manage it, including relaxation techniques. They can also answer any questions you may have about the procedure.
Bringing a loved one to the appointment for emotional support can also help some people ease any anxiety.
You should arrange for a ride home afterward. The pupils are often dilated before an injection, which can temporarily impair your vision.
Your clinic may perform tests before giving the injection. For example, your ophthalmologist may use a dilated eye exam and OCT imaging to examine your retina.
Because practices differ, the medical portion of the injection medical procedure may take only about five to 15 minutes, but your total appointment can be longer if testing, imaging, dilation, or waiting is required.
First, your eye will be numbed. Doctors may use anesthetic drops or gel. Sometimes a numbing injection is used.
Next, your eye and eyelids are cleaned with an antiseptic to reduce bacteria around the eye and prevent infection. Your doctor may use a small device called an eyelid speculum to hold your eyelids open so you don’t have to worry about blinking during the injection.
Your doctor will then ask you to look in a certain direction and use a very small needle to inject the medication through the white area of your eye. The actual injection may last 10 to 20 seconds.
One member of myAMDteam shared, “I’ve been getting injections for a few years. My eye is numb from drops put into my eye, plus I get a very tiny numbing injection that I don’t feel. My doctor uses a tiny syringe, and I never see it.”
Pain during an eye injection is often one of the biggest concerns before a first appointment.
Because the eye is numbed, people typically feel pressure with little or no pain during the injection. Some individuals report moderate discomfort that lasts for a few seconds.
“I had an improvement with the first injection. I’m excited to go to my next appointment and see the results with my next injection,” a member added. “I was so afraid of the injections, but the team numbed me so well, I had no pain at all.”
Another member rated the pain of an AMD injection: “On a scale of 1-10, I would give it a 2-3. It feels like a pinch for 2-3 seconds, then it's all over,” they shared.
After the medicine is given, the eyelid holder is removed, and your eye will be cleaned again. Your eye specialist may also check the pressure inside your eye because it can rise temporarily following an injection.
You may or may not need to stay for monitoring after an uncomplicated injection, although your doctor may check you before you leave. The exact process depends on your medical needs and your practice’s protocol.
If you have glaucoma, you may need to stay longer to have your eye pressure monitored.
Because your pupils may be dilated for 24 to 36 hours after your injection, you should avoid driving home, or driving at all, until they’re back to normal.
Your vision might not seem completely normal when you walk out of the doctor’s office. After an injection, it’s common to have:
Following an AMD injection, mild irritation and vision changes are often experienced temporarily. Irritation, scratchiness, and tearing can last a day or two, while blurry vision typically resolves the day of the injection.
In some cases, a small blood vessel can also break where the needle enters the eye, leaving a red patch on the white of the eye. This type of surface bleeding may take days or up to two weeks to heal. It’s generally harmless if you don’t feel pain or notice worsening vision.
Be sure to follow your ophthalmologist’s aftercare directions to reduce the risk of side effects or complications. You’ll need to avoid any potential eye contamination after your injection.
Try to avoid rubbing the treated eye afterward, and don’t go swimming for two days. Applying artificial tears or a cool compress (ice pack) may help with dryness or irritation.
Your eye doctor may recommend taking over-the-counter pain relievers to address any eye discomfort or soreness.
Members have shared their experiences with recovery after eye injections.
“I had my injection yesterday,” wrote a member. “My eye is very sore today, but the redness isn’t too bad compared to what it has been in the past.”
Another shared, “My eye is sore afterwards, and there’s a lot of tearing and blurry vision in that eye. I take Tylenol. I get treatment late in the day, and my eye is much better by morning.”
“I recommend a gel ice pack after the injection, as it helps soothe any irritation,” suggested another member.
Serious complications from intravitreal injections are rare, but they can include infection inside the eye and retinal detachment.
Contact your doctor immediately if you develop any of the following symptoms:
Try not to judge the success of treatment based only on how your vision seems immediately after your first injection.
Wet AMD commonly requires repeated treatment and follow-up visits, and doctors may use an exam and OCT imaging to determine how your eye is responding and you need more injections.
Some people notice improved vision within a week, but treatment doesn’t improve vision for everyone. Stabilizing vision changes, rather than making it noticeably sharper, can also be an important treatment outcome.
Your ophthalmologist can tell you what changes they hope to see in your eye with injections and how your treatment may change based on your response.
Your care doesn’t stop when you leave your ophthalmologist's office. Keep your scheduled follow-up visits because repeat injections are often needed for chronic conditions such as wet AMD. Your doctor can use exams and imaging to monitor your response.
Pay attention to changes in your vision and to how your eye feels after each treatment. If side effects are hard to tolerate, tell your ophthalmologist rather than simply assuming you have to live with them.
Most importantly, don’t wait for your next scheduled visit if you develop warning signs such as worsening pain, a significant decrease in vision, many new floaters, or a curtain or veil in your vision.
If you notice any of these issues, contact your eye care team promptly so they can determine what is causing your symptoms.
Get updates directly to your inbox.
Continue with Facebook
Continue with Email
Continue with Facebook
Continue with Email
Become a member to get even more
Join
Your Privacy Choices
This is a member-feature!
Sign up for free to view article comments.
We'd love to hear from you! Please share your name and email to post and read comments.
You'll also get the latest articles directly to your inbox.