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I Have Macular Degeneration Eye Problems; Why Am I "Seeing Things"?

I Have Macular Degeneration Eye Problems; Why Am I "Seeing Things"?

Wet AMD

Wet AMD

When vision begins to deteriorate due to age-related macular degeneration (AMD), clear images become blurry, especially in the center, as illustrated here. People who have severe vision loss from AMD may also experience what is known as Charles Bonnet Syndrome, which is explained in the accompanying text.

If you have poor or declining vision caused by age-related macular degeneration (AMD), you may also experience what is known as Charles Bonnet Syndrome. In this syndrome, people who have lost or are losing eyesight "see" strikingly real images of things they know are not really there. This seemingly visual imagery without vision takes many forms. It may involve faces, people, animals or landscapes. It may involve patterns like bricks or colorful checkerboards. Sometimes it is like a movie, with scenes playing out. Sometimes the figures in the images are regular size; sometimes they are oversized or miniature. The imagery can be silly or whimsical, involving creatures such as elves, fairies or pink elephants wearing green hats. In general, the imagery is not troubling or scary. It is always very vivid.

Charles Bonnet Syndrome has been associated with vision loss from many causes. In your type of vision degeneration, eye macular functioning is impaired. The macula, light-sensitive tissue located at the center of the retina, is key to the sense of sight.

Won't People Think I'm Crazy?

If you or a friend or loved one have macular degeneration eye problems and have experienced this type of imagery, you should not be frightened or ashamed. Rest assured that it is not related to any kind of mental illness. It is related only to vision loss, including macular degeneration eye problems. In fact, doctors are finding that many more people than they originally thought experience Charles Bonnet Syndrome.

In their book "Macular Degeneration The Complete Guide to Saving and Maximizing Your Sight" (The Random House Publishing Group) Lylas G. Mogk, M.D., and Marja Mogk, Ph.D., list six criteria for Charles Bonnet Syndrome (first presented by Naville in 1873). They ask, "Do the images that appear to you have the following six characteristics?"

  1. They occur when you are fully conscious and wide awake, often during broad daylight.
  2. They do not deceive you; you are aware that they are not real.
  3. They occur in combination with normal perception. For example, you may see a sidewalk clearly but find it covered with dots, flowers, or faces.
  4. They are exclusively visual and do not appear in combination with any sounds or bizarre sensations.
  5. They appear and disappear without obvious cause.
  6. They are amusing or annoying but not grotesque.

If the imagery you see fits the criteria on that list, do not be afraid to discuss it with your doctor if you would like to. With your type of vision degeneration, eye macular functioning is impaired, but your sanity is not!

Hope for the future? New clinical trials.

NeoVista, Inc. is a company that is developing an intraocular epiretinal radiation device intended for the treatment of the wet form of age-related macular degeneration. If you, or someone you know, are interested in participating in the CABERNET Trial, please follow the link below:

Learn more about the CABERNET Trial

 

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