From your visit
Early macular degeneration: checking at home, and what helps
Reviewed October 2026 · Dr. Sam Khoury, Optometrist
This page is for patients examined in this office and found to have early signs of macular degeneration.
Call the same day if straight lines start to look wavy or bent, or a new blurry or dark spot appears in the center of your vision. These can be signs of the wet form, which is treated most successfully when treatment starts early. A sudden loss of vision is an emergency: if the office is closed, or you cannot reach us, go to a hospital emergency room. (609) 246-0236
Macular degeneration affects the macula, the small central part of the retina you use for reading, faces and driving. It does not take away side vision. In its early stages, macular degeneration typically causes no symptoms. The good news is that most people with early-stage disease keep good vision for years, and many never reach the advanced stage.
Check each eye at home, once a week
- Wear your reading glasses and hold the grid below at reading distance, in good light.
- Cover one eye and look only at the dot in the center.
- Without moving your eye, notice whether any lines look wavy, bent, blurred or missing. Then switch eyes.
The grid works on a phone screen, or print this page for a larger copy. Same day, same light, each week, so a change stands out.
If something looks different from last week, call the same day.
Eye vitamins: only for some people
The AREDS2 vitamin formula — set doses of vitamins C and E, zinc, copper, lutein and zeaxanthin — slowed progression in people with intermediate macular degeneration, or advanced disease in one eye. In early macular degeneration it has not been shown to help.
Because your eye exam determines your exact stage, ask us before buying any supplements. The vitamin aisle can be confusing, and many over-the-counter “eye vitamins” do not contain the AREDS2 formula.
Critical note for smokers: if you smoke or used to smoke, use only the AREDS2 version. The original AREDS formula contains beta-carotene, which has been shown to increase the risk of lung cancer in current and former smokers.
What else helps
- Not smoking. Smoking is the strongest risk factor you can change.
- Leafy green vegetables and fish are linked with lower risk in long-term studies.
- Good light for reading — a lamp aimed at the page.
- Tell your family. Macular degeneration runs in families. Brothers, sisters and children should have regular eye exams.
Your next visit
Keep the interval set at your exam. If you do not have a date yet, call to book it.
Khoury Eye Care, Hamilton Mall, 4403 Black Horse Pike, Mays Landing.
Sources
The figures and recommendations on this page come from the following. Ask at your visit if you would like a copy of any of them.
- Age-Related Eye Disease Study 2 Research Group. Lutein + zeaxanthin and omega-3 fatty acids for age-related macular degeneration: the AREDS2 randomized clinical trial. JAMA. 2013;309(19):2005-2015.
- Age-Related Eye Disease Study Research Group. A randomized, placebo-controlled, clinical trial of high-dose supplementation with vitamins C and E, beta carotene, and zinc for age-related macular degeneration and vision loss: AREDS report no. 8. Archives of Ophthalmology. 2001;119(10):1417-1436.
- American Academy of Ophthalmology. Age-Related Macular Degeneration Preferred Practice Pattern. 2019.