Wet AMD (neovascular age-related macular degeneration) occurs when abnormal new blood vessels grow beneath the macula — the central part of the retina — and leak fluid and blood. Unlike the slow, dry form, wet AMD can damage central vision within days, so it is treated as urgent. Regular anti-VEGF injections from £945 stop the leakage, preserve sight and, in many patients, recover some of the vision that was lost.
What is wet AMD?
Age-related macular degeneration affects the macula, the small central area of the retina that gives you the sharp, detailed vision needed to read, drive and recognise faces. There are two types. Dry AMD develops slowly as the macula thins with age. Wet AMD is less common but far more aggressive: abnormal blood vessels grow up from beneath the retina (choroidal neovascularisation) and leak fluid and blood, lifting and scarring the macula.
Because wet AMD progresses quickly, it is the form most likely to cause sudden, severe central vision loss — and the form where urgent treatment makes the biggest difference. It often develops in people who already have dry AMD, and can affect the second eye over time.
Symptoms
Wet AMD affects central vision and the warning signs can appear suddenly. Seek prompt assessment if you notice:
- Distortion (metamorphopsia) — straight lines such as door frames or text look wavy or bent
- A blurred or dark patch in the centre of your vision
- Rapidly worsening central vision over days to weeks
- Difficulty reading or recognising faces, while side vision stays normal
- Colours appearing less bright
An Amsler grid is a useful home check — new distortion or a missing area should prompt an urgent appointment.
New distortion or a central blur? Wet AMD is time-critical — an urgent OCT scan confirms the diagnosis so treatment can start quickly.
Request urgent assessmentCauses & risk factors
Wet AMD is driven by abnormal blood-vessel growth under the macula, stimulated by a protein called VEGF. Your risk is higher if you:
- Are over 50 — risk rises steadily with age
- Smoke — the single biggest modifiable risk factor
- Have a family history of macular degeneration
- Already have dry AMD in one or both eyes
- Have high blood pressure or cardiovascular disease
- Are of European heritage or have light-coloured eyes
How it is diagnosed
Wet AMD is diagnosed quickly with specialised retinal imaging:
- Optical coherence tomography (OCT) — the key scan, showing fluid and the abnormal vessels beneath the macula in seconds.
- OCT angiography — maps the abnormal blood vessels without dye.
- Fluorescein angiography — a dye test that highlights leaking vessels when needed.
- Dilated retinal examination — the consultant examines the macula directly.
- Amsler grid & visual acuity — to measure and monitor the effect on central vision.
Treatment options
The aim is to stop the abnormal vessels leaking before they scar the macula — see our wet AMD treatment overview.
- Anti-VEGF injections — the mainstay of treatment. A medicine that blocks VEGF is injected into the eye to dry up the fluid and halt vessel growth. Treatment starts with monthly injections and continues on a tailored schedule. See AMD pricing.
- Regular OCT monitoring — scans guide when the next injection is needed, protecting vision long term.
- Lifestyle & the other eye — stopping smoking and monitoring the fellow eye are important; early dry AMD changes are managed alongside — see macular degeneration.