It was the first functional test proposed to evaluate metamorphopsia. Swiss ophthalmologist Marc Amsler described the Amsler grid in the year 1945. Similarly in 1874, Richard Forster demonstrated metamorphopsia using a square grid. In 1869, Jacob Hermann Knapp described scotoma and metamorphopsia in traumatic maculopathy with choroidal rupture using horizontal lines. A color version with a blue and yellow grid is more sensitive and can be used to test for a wide variety of visual pathway abnormalities, including those associated with the retina, the optic nerve, and the pituitary gland. The original Amsler grid was black and white. Patients with macular disease may see wavy lines or some lines may be missing.Īmsler grids are supplied by ophthalmologists, optometrists or from web sites, and may be used to test one's vision at home. In the test, the person looks with each eye separately at the small dot in the center of the grid. Amsler grid usually help detecting defects in central 20 degrees of the visual field. macular degeneration, Epiretinal membrane), as well as the optic nerve and the visual pathway to the brain. It is a diagnostic tool that aids in the detection of visual disturbances caused by changes in the retina, particularly the macula (e.g. The grid was developed by Marc Amsler, a Swiss ophthalmologist. The Amsler grid, used since 1945, is a grid of horizontal and vertical lines used to monitor a person's central visual field. Used to detect vision problems resulting from damage to the macula or the optic nerve Instrucciones para usar Cuadrícula de Amsler (PDF) en español.Amsler grid, as seen by a person with normal vision computer and TV images are more challenging to see.it becomes harder to see or recognize faces.straight lines look curved (a door frame, for example).
Then, if you check again at a later point and think the area of waviness has increased or a new area has appeared, or you have a new blind spot, it’s time to call the retina specialist.Įven without a grid, you may notice changes in your vision that should prompt a call to your eye doctor: There may be a little waviness of the lines in a few places due to large drusen, semi-solid deposits that form under the retina in AMD. If your eye doctor tells you that you don’t have wet AMD, look at the grid shortly after the exam to determine your baseline. This scarring can lead to irreversible vision loss in parts of the visual field, so it is best to monitor your vision at home at least once a week with the grid and call your retina specialist if you notice a change. If an eye with wet AMD goes untreated for a few months or longer, it can begin to develop retinal scarring. This test does not replace regular eye exams. Learn more about treatments for macular degeneration.
These medicines are injected into the eye through a tiny needle, as often as once per month. The good news is that the fluid, caused by new leaky blood vessels in the retina, can often be dried up by treatment with brolucizumab (Beovu®), aflibercept (Eylea®), ranibizumab (Lucentis®), or bevacizumab (Avastin®). Sometimes the fluid interferes with retinal function enough to cause a gray, white, black, or red “blind spot” in or near the center of the visual field. This is caused by fluid that accumulates within or under the retina, which can form a blister, making straight lines look curved. In contrast, an eye with wet AMD will often see some of the lines as curved or even blocked out by a gray, white, or black region.
If you use it with both eyes open, the good eye can compensate for an eye with wet AMD, and you won’t notice any abnormalities.Īn eye without wet AMD will usually see all the lines as straight. It is important to cover or close one eye so that you are testing only one eye at a time. Call us at 1-85 to request a magnetic version of the Amsler grid so you can put it on your refrigerator. If the lines appear to be wavy, dim, irregular, or fuzzy, schedule an eye exam immediately. With reading glasses on, hold the grid at a distance that allows you to get most of the lines in focus it will probably be about 12-14 inches away, the same as book reading distance.Ĭover one eye and focus on the black dot in the middle of the grid.Ĭover the other eye and repeat the test. Or, download and print this free Amsler grid eye test on plain white paper. If you have already been diagnosed with AMD, the Amsler grid will help you detect the progression of dry AMD to the wet form of the disease at an early, treatable stage. The Amsler grid is an at-home eye test that can help detect early signs of retinal disease such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD).