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Medical Author:

John D. Sheppard, MD, MMSc

Medical Editor:

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.

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When to Seek Medical Care

For age-related macular degeneration, you should see an ophthalmologist (a medical doctor who specializes in eye care and surgery). Your optometrist can also screen for and diagnose this disease.

• In general, people older than 45 years should have a complete eye examination and then follow-up examinations every two years.



• People with age-related macular degeneration should check their vision daily or weekly with an Amsler grid and promptly notify their ophthalmologist of any changes in their vision.

It should be very rare that a person must go to a hospital for macular-degeneration problems. Because of the specialized nature of eye-examination equipment as well as the lasers and medications used for treatment, macular degeneration is handled and treated best in the ophthalmologist's office.

• If you notice a sudden decrease in vision in one or both of your eyes and you cannot reach your ophthalmologist or optometrist, go to or call the hospital's emergency department in order to contact the on-call eye doctor. Timely treatment of early wet age-related macular degeneration can prevent further vision loss.



• Visual symptoms, blurring, or eye pain may be symptoms of eye conditions other than age-related macular degeneration. You may need prompt diagnosis and treatment of these other conditions.