February is Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) and Low Vision Awareness Month. AMD is a retinal disease that affects part of the back of the eye called the macula. When AMD damages the macula, the center part of a person’s vision may become blurred or wavy, and a blind spot may develop. According to the National Eye Institute, 11 million people in the United States have AMD. Many people with AMD may not notice symptoms right away until the disease progresses or affects both eyes. Vision changes due to AMD may include: Difficulty seeing in the center of vision, needed for reading, cooking, or driving. Trouble seeing in dim light. Straight lines (such as light poles) start to appear wavy, blurry, crooked or missing. Fading and/or changes in the appearance of colors. Difficulty recognizing familiar faces. Low vision is defined as vision loss that cannot be corrected by medical or surgical treatments or conventional eyeglasses, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology. More than 7 million Americans have low vision. AMD and low vision continue to impact the daily lives of millions, and the numbers of those affected are only going to continue to grow as our population ages.