Age-related macular degeneration (AMD)

• Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a common condition that affects the middle part of your vision. It usually first affects people in their 50s.
• It does not cause total blindness, but it can make things like reading and recognising faces difficult.
• Without treatment, your vision may get worse. This can happen gradually over several years, before it can then get worse quickly over a few weeks or months.
• The exact cause is unknown. It's been linked to things such as ageing, smoking, high blood pressure, being overweight and having a family history of AMD.