Condition
Dry age-related macular degeneration
Care built around what matters day to day: reading, driving and recognising faces.
Age-related macular degeneration affects the macula, the central part of the retina used for sharp, detailed vision. This is the vision needed for reading, recognising faces, driving and seeing fine detail.
- Treatment
- Photobiomodulation only
- Each session
- About 12 minutes
- Course
- 9 home sessions over 3 weeks
- Assessment
- In clinic, before and after
Is this you?
The symptoms people with dry AMD most often describe.
- Blurred or fuzzy central vision
- Difficulty reading small print, even with glasses
- Distorted or missing areas in central vision
- Slower adjustment between bright and dim spaces
- Colours appearing less vivid than they used to
- Needing more light for close work
What we ask you to look for
Dry AMD is the more common form. It develops gradually as retinal cells and supporting tissues age and become less efficient. Waste deposits called drusen can build up beneath the retina. Over time, some people develop areas of retinal thinning, known as geographic atrophy.
Dry AMD does not usually cause complete blindness because side vision often remains. Even so, the impact can be serious. Losing central vision can make familiar tasks tiring or unsafe.
How we approach dry AMD
Every patient is assessed before any treatment is discussed. Your assessment includes vision testing and detailed macular scans where appropriate, so that any change over your treatment course can be measured rather than guessed at.
Where photobiomodulation is suitable, it is the only treatment used. Each home session takes around 12 minutes, and the aim is to support the cells at the back of the eye that matter for your sight. PBM is not a cure for AMD and it cannot restore vision that has already been lost. It is one part of a wider plan that still includes regular eye examinations and prompt referral if anything changes.
Is it suitable for me?
We treat early and intermediate dry AMD, often called mild to moderate. This is where the treatment is most relevant. If the retina is already scarred, or the cells at the macula have been lost, treatment cannot bring them back.
In some cases we may still treat, with the aim of helping to keep things as they are rather than improving them; in others we will advise against it. We tell you which at your assessment. Wet AMD needs prompt NHS treatment and is not something we treat.
Common questions before treatment
The things people most want settled before they get in touch.
What improvements might I realistically expect?
Nobody can promise a result. Photobiomodulation is still being studied, research so far has not settled whether it helps, and not everyone responds. We test your vision and contrast sensitivity and scan your macula before your course and a week after it, and tell you plainly what we find.
What is the total cost?
Each home session is from £150, and a full course of nine sessions is from £1,350. The price depends on where you live, because travel is the only thing that changes it; the costs page gives the figure for your area. Your assessments before and after the course are included, so there is nothing extra to pay for them. Courses are usually repeated every six or twelve months, depending on the stage of your AMD, and each course is charged separately.
Does it hurt?
No. PBM is painless. There are no needles and no surgery. You sit with the light delivery device in front of your eyes for a short, controlled session.
Is this available on the NHS?
No. There is currently no NHS treatment for dry AMD. NHS eye examinations in Scotland are free, and you should keep having them. Our treatment is private, and sits alongside your usual NHS care rather than instead of it.
What happens if it doesn't work?
If the tests after your course show no change, we will say so. Whether a further course is worth considering is a decision we make together, and you are never committed to another: each course is paid for separately. Your NHS eye examinations continue as normal throughout.
What the research shows
Most of the evidence comes from three trials of one device, called LIGHTSITE. The largest found that after about two years, treated eyes read just under one line more on the chart than eyes given a sham treatment, a benefit the US regulator described as of marginal clinical significance. Reviews that pool the trials are more cautious, and in the UK it is not offered on the NHS. Results from one device on one schedule do not tell us what a different device, or a single course, will do.
Read our summary of the researchWhat patients treated for dry AMD say
How the treatment works
- 1
Selected wavelengths
Red and near-infrared light is delivered in controlled doses. Unlike a surgical laser, it does not cut, burn or remove tissue.
- 2
Absorbed by the cell
The light reaches the mitochondria, the structures that produce most of the energy a cell needs to function.
- 3
Energy and inflammation
Research suggests certain wavelengths interact with cytochrome c oxidase, part of the mitochondrial energy pathway.
- 4
Supported tissue
The aim is not to boost cells in a vague sense. It is to help stressed cells work more normally and resist further damage.
More questions
No. Dry AMD affects the macula, at the back of the eye. Dry eye affects the tears on the front of the eye. The names are similar, but the conditions are unrelated.
Sometimes. Some people with dry AMD develop wet AMD, which can damage sight quickly. It can be treated, and treatment works best when it starts early. If straight lines look wavy, or a patch of vision blurs or goes missing, see an optometrist the same day. In Scotland, contact an optometry practice first. If it is closed, phone NHS 24 on 111.
With an Amsler grid: a square of straight lines with a dot in the middle. Hold it at reading distance in good light, wearing your reading glasses. Cover one eye and keep looking at the dot. Without moving your eye, notice whether any lines look wavy, broken or missing, or any area looks blurred. Then do the other eye. Check once a week, and if you notice any of these, contact an optometrist the same day.
Dry AMD does not usually cause total blindness. It affects the centre of your vision, and side vision usually remains. Losing central vision can still make reading, recognising faces and driving hard, and support is available, from low vision aids to local sight-loss charities.
A vitamin and mineral mix known as AREDS2 may lower the chance of AMD reaching a late stage. It is meant for people with intermediate AMD, or late AMD in one eye. There is no good evidence that it helps early AMD. If you smoke or used to, avoid formulas containing beta-carotene. Ask your optometrist or GP before you start.
You can drive as long as you meet the eyesight standard for driving. You must tell the DVLA if AMD affects both eyes, or your only seeing eye. Tell them too if you no longer meet the standard, or a professional says you should not drive. Bus and lorry drivers have stricter rules. An optometrist can check whether you meet the standard.
Your first and final assessments take place in a clinical setting, where the diagnostic equipment lives. That is what allows us to take detailed macular scans and compare them properly at the end of your course.
Yes. Once your assessment is complete and treatment has been recommended, every treatment session is delivered at your home. That avoids repeated journeys during a three-week course.
For dry AMD, each home session takes around 12 minutes, and the course is nine sessions over three weeks. The dry eye treatment is a single appointment of around an hour, covering all four steps. Your clinician will confirm timings for your own plan.
No, and that is why every patient is assessed first. Suitability depends on your diagnosis, the stage of your condition, your general health and your medication. If PBM is not right for you, we will tell you.
We cover the central belt, from Tayside in the north to Ayrshire in the south west. The price per session depends on where you are treated, because travel is the only thing that changes it. It starts at £150 per session. The costs page lists every area and lets you check your postcode.
Ready to talk it through?
Every patient is assessed before treatment is discussed. If PBM is not right for you, we will tell you.
The information on this site is for general guidance only and is not medical advice. Diagnosis and treatment decisions should always be made with a qualified eye care professional. If your vision changes suddenly, seek urgent advice.