At Wight Eye Care, it’s our passion to see every Loves Park, IL, resident maintain healthy eyes for as long as they live. For this reason, we provide many eye care services to preserve your vision. Because age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a common eye condition, we offer the Arctic Macular Risk Test to pick up on the condition before it becomes severe.

What Is Involved with an Arctic Macular Risk Test?

As you age, your macula may become damaged, affecting your retina and your vision as a whole. If you are aged 50 and above, AMD may progressively damage your vision, and you need to arrest the situation early before it compromises your sight. An Arctic Macular Risk Test checks whether you are at risk of AMD or if you have any degenerative eye disease.

To do the Arctic Macular Risk Test, we take a sample of your DNA by swabbing the inside of your cheeks to pick saliva. We then send the samples to a lab to determine if you are at risk of AMD. Results are out after a couple of days, and we will take you through them in your next consultation.

Benefits of Testing

Since AMD can damage your retina over time, early detection is vital. An Arctic Macular Risk Test helps our optometry team determine if you are at risk of AMD and provide early treatments to preserve your vision from degeneration. We will help you manage AMD by recommending lifestyle changes, including quitting smoking, being active, and improving your diet.

The symptoms of AMD are barely noticeable at the early stages. However, if you have difficulties adapting to low-grade light or experience hallucinations, you may be having AMD. While AMD doesn’t affect both eyes normally, it can compromise your vision significantly, deteriorating your quality of life if left untreated.

Get Tested for Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Since AMD is a silent eye condition, you need frequent testing to ensure the disease is treated in its early stages. If you are in Loves Park, IL, or surrounding areas, please book an appointment with Wight Eye Care for an Arctic Macular Risk Test. Call (815) 708-7083 today.