Macular Degeneration Test
To confirm a diagnosis of macular degeneration, your doctors at Elmquist Eye Group may perform several tests to examine your retina.
Dr. E. Trevor Elmquist is board certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology and has been selected as one of America’s Top Doctors in ophthalmology by Castle Connolly Medical Ltd. He has been providing exceptional eye care to the residents of Southwest Florida for over 25 years.
His associate, Dr. Sarah Eccles-Brown, is a board certified ophthalmologist. Dr. Kate Wagner, his partner, and Dr. Nina Burt are board certified optometrists who provide complete eye care services.
Our talented Elmquist Eye Group team offers a full range of vision care, from routine exams for glasses to bladeless laser-assisted cataract surgery and treatment for sight-threatening conditions such as glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and macular degeneration.
What are the Symptoms of Macular Degeneration?
In its earliest stages, you may not notice any symptoms of AMD. There is no pain or discomfort, and vision loss is usually gradual. In rare cases, there may be a sudden loss of vision. If you have any of the following symptoms, it is important to get in touch with Elmquist Eye Group right away.
- Straight lines appear wavy or bent.
- There is a dark or blind spot in the center of your field of vision.
- You have difficulty recognizing faces or distinguishing colors.
- Printed words become increasingly blurry.
- Your eyes become more sensitive to bright lights.
- You experience a loss of depth perception.
Diagnosing Macular Degeneration
There are several tests your eye doctor can perform to determine if you have macular degeneration. They include:
Dilated eye exam: After dilating (widening) your pupils with eye drops, we will examine your retina and optic nerve for signs of AMD and other eye problems.
Visual acuity test: The eye doctor will measure your sight from various distances.
Amsler grid: This test can help detect early signs of retinal disease. If you have macular degeneration, some of the straight lines in the grid will look faded, broken or distorted.
Ophthalmoscopy or fundoscopy: Your eye doctor can use an ophthalmoscope or fundoscope to check for problems in the retina, blood vessels and optic nerve after using eye drops to dilate your pupils.
Fluorescein angiography: If your doctor suspects you may have the more advanced Wet AMD, he or she may perform this test to detect leaking blood vessels. It involves injecting a colored dye into your arm and tracing it as it travels through your blood vessels.
Optical coherence tomography (OCT): When your doctor suspects advanced dry AMD, this technique can identify regions of the retina that are thinning, thickening or swelling.
If you think you may have symptoms of macular degeneration, the painless, non-invasive tests performed by the eye doctors at Elmquist Eye Group can determine what is causing your eye problems. Call us as soon as possible at (239) 936-2020 to make an appointment.