Dame Judi Dench
Dame Judi Dench Wikimedia Commons/The National Churches Trust from London

Dame Judi Dench opened up about her 'crushing' experience of slowly losing her eyesight.

In an interview with Radio Times, the multi-award-winning British actress admitted that her vision had already deteriorated, reaching the point where she could no longer watch her favourite TV shows.

'Well, I miss seeing Clive Myrie doing Mastermind, but I can hear the questions,' the 91-year-old retired actress said.

The 'Shakespeare in Love' star had been vocal about having age-related macular degeneration (AMD) since 2012, which helped spread awareness about the eye disease. Yet some people are still in the dark about this condition.

What is AMD?

The NHS defines age-related macular degeneration as a common health condition that affects the centre of a person's vision. It usually happens to people in their 50s.

While this condition will not cause complete blindness, it could make common activities like reading and face recognition more challenging.

Clinical adviser Denise Voon from The College of Optometrists further explained the condition in an interview with The Independent UK.

She shared that there are two types of AMD: the dry type and the wet one.

Voon said that the dry type is the most common of the two.

'The cells at the back of the eye and the retina gradually degenerate with with age and can lead to deposits called drusen,' the clinical adviser explained.

While several tiny drusen can be considered as a natural sign of ageing, larger ones or numerous small drusen could be a sign of AMD.

'Dry AMD is usually very slow progressing and many people don't notice any issues for years,' Voon added. 'A lot of people have quite near normal vision, but if dry AMD gets a lot worse, it can lead to visual problems.'

Meanwhile, wet AMD can affect vision faster. It is also less common, according to Voon.

'It occurs when abnormal blood vessels grow into the retina and then they leak, and they can cause a very sudden and rapid loss of vision,' she said.

What Type of AMD Does Dame Judi Have?

The 'Mrs Brown' actress told Radio Times that she has wet AMD in both eyes, and there is nothing to be done.

She claimed that it broke her spirits when she could no longer enjoy doing her everyday tasks independently, like driving, embroidering 'swear words on dainty cushions,' reading and watching TV.

But she admitted that she still keeps her TV on, but only for listening.

How Did Dame Judi Acquire AMD?

The Macular Society shared that as people get older, the chances of developing AMD increase. It allegedly affects one in every 200 people.

Voon also said that other risk factors can lead to this condition, including family history, obesity, unhealthy diet and smoking.

Any of these factors would have caused the beloved actress' condition.

The NHS stated that there is no cure for AMD, but total vision loss can be slowed down through treatments like injecting anti-VEGF directly in the affected eye or using light treatment to destroy the blood vessels that cause wet AMD.

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