How is age-related macular degeneration treated?

With dry AMD, treatment aims to help a person make the most of their remaining vision – for example, magnifying lenses can be used to make reading easier. There's some evidence to suggest a diet rich in leafy green vegetables may slow the progression of dry AMD. There's some evidence a diet high in vitamins A (beta-carotene), C and E – as well as substances called lutein and zeaxanthin – may slow the progression of dry AMD, and possibly even reduce your risk of getting wet AMD. Talk to your eye doctor about whether these could help you. If you smoke then it is very important for you to work with you GP to stop smoking.

For dry AMD, you should regularly check the vision in each of your eye separately every one to two weeks. You can do this by placing a special Amsler grid (see here) on your fridge door and look at it with each eye separately covering the other eye. If you have an Apple iPad, you can monitor your vision with the Melbourne Rapid Fields app, co-invented by Dr George Kong.

Wet AMD can be treated with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) medication with sterile injection in clinic. These include Lucentis and Eylea. The aim of these medications is to stop your vision getting worse by preventing further blood vessels developing.

To start with, you'll have a monthly injection for three consecutive months. Your visual acuity will then be monitored during a maintenance phase. If your vision deteriorates during the maintenance phase, and it's thought to be caused by further fluid leakage, you may be given another injection. Monitoring will continue and you'll have injections as necessary, with at least one month between injections.

Treatment will be stopped if your condition doesn't show signs of improvement or continues to get worse.

Common side effects of injection into the eye with Lucentis or Eylea include:

minor bleeding in the eye

feeling like there's something in the eye

inflammation or irritation of the eye

brief increased pressure within the eye