To test the central field of vision, you can use a very simple method that takes no more than 10-15 seconds. It is advisable to carry it out regularly so that the state of visual function can be assessed and pathology, in particular macular degeneration, can be identified in the early stages.
To do this you should:
- Put on glasses (contact lenses) if you wear them.
- The grid should be placed at a distance of 20-30 cm from the eyes.
- Cover one eye.
- Focus your gaze on the central point. After this, you need to evaluate the rest of the mesh.
In this case, the following parameters should be assessed:
- Are the lines smooth and straight?
- Are the grid squares the same size?
- Are there areas where the image is cloudy, distorted, or discolored?
After this, you should repeat the eye for the second eye.
Evaluation of results
To evaluate the results, all these characteristics must be determined. Normally, during the Amsler test, the image should be the same for both eyes, and the lines should be straight and free of bends, spots or distortions. If during the test you identify any changes, you should definitely contact an ophthalmologist, because this may be evidence of various pathological processes in the area of the center of the retina (macula).
It is important to note that the Amsler test cannot replace clinical observation by an ophthalmologist, especially for patients over 50 years of age.
Video from our specialist about testing vision using the Amsler table
Research price
- 500
rub.
Above is the price for diagnostic services at our ophthalmology center at the time of publication of the material. You can find out the exact cost of services and make an appointment by calling the numbers listed on our website.
Vision is a great gift given to us by nature. How often do we not think about this until we feel that problems are appearing with our vision. Then a person is ready to undergo dozens of examinations, pay any money, just to preserve precious eye health. No need to wait until the last minute. Test your vision at home - it's very simple. To do this, use the following methods, many of which are familiar to you from childhood.
How often should you have your eyes checked?
Vision should be checked regularly. Young children undergo annual medical examinations by an ophthalmologist. Typically, at such appointments, congenital vision problems are identified and treatment is started on time.
Teenagers should see an eye doctor twice a year. People under forty years old - once every 24 months, and after forty - annually. If a person is diagnosed with any pathology, then visits to the ophthalmologist’s office become even more frequent.
Interesting: World Vision Day is celebrated every second Thursday of the tenth month. This date was noted by experts from the World Health Organization in order to give reason to think about the problems of blind people, about the possibility of instantly losing their own vision due to stupidity. On this day, people began to understand how important it is to look after their health and their eyes in particular.
How to test your eyesight at home
There are several ways to find out if your eyes are okay. Let's look at popular and effective methods.
Golovin-Sivtsev table
At home, you can check your visual acuity using a poster with letters familiar to us from childhood. It is called the Sivtsev table. The poster is freely available on the Internet. It is enough to print it out on A4 format and place it at a distance of five meters from you. Take into account the lighting in the room, the color and dullness of the paper on which the table is printed.
Instructions for using the Sivtsev table:
- Hang the poster at the required distance so that it does not shake or move.
- Cover one eye with a piece of paper or cardboard. A closed eye should not be closed, otherwise the test result will be incorrect.
- Try to read the letters line by line from top to bottom. It only takes three seconds to recognize one symbol and say its name out loud. This is exactly the time given for one letter.
- Close your other eye and repeat.
Results: if you easily read the first 10 lines, then rejoice - your vision corresponds to indicator 1. The fewer lines you saw, the worse the sharpness of your eyes. Gradually reduce the distance between the table and the eye, while measuring it. If you find a strong deviation from the norm, you should immediately see a doctor.
Interesting: there are people whose vision exceeds the norm and is equal to 1.3 or 1.4. But for the most part people see poorly. There are indicators of 0.7, 0.3 and even 0.04.
Orlova table
Orlova’s table works in exactly the same way as the previous described vision testing technique. It is intended for young children who have not yet learned their letters well. Instead, they name the picture they see. By analogy with Sivtsev’s table, Orlova’s poster consists of twelve lines and hangs five meters from the baby’s eyes.
Result: a child with good eyesight can easily name the figures on the top ten lines. If he cannot do this, bring the table closer to him and measure the distance. Be sure to share the results of the test with your doctor when you come for your appointment.
How to check a baby's vision
No table will help you check your baby's vision. He simply cannot answer your questions. There is an old method that our grandmothers used.
Instructions:
- From ordinary black bread, make several round pieces with a diameter of no more than a few millimeters.
- Place the baby on a white sheet.
- Remove all bright toys from the line of sight so that they do not distract the baby.
- Scatter these rounds on the sheet and watch the child’s reaction.
Result: a 6-month-old child should be interested in even such small objects. If this does not happen, then this is a reason to go to the clinic.
Important! Do not forget that home diagnostics have a very high degree of error. A mandatory consultation with an ophthalmologist is required.
How to determine farsightedness and nearsightedness
A round table will help determine the presence of farsightedness or myopia. We advise you to print it on a color printer so as not to fall into the trap of the color characteristics of your personal computer. Settings, screen resolution, color scheme - all this can affect the outcome of the experiment.
Instructions:
- Look closely at the table for one minute.
- Determine for yourself which side of the circle seems much brighter and more intense to you than the other.
Result: If you think that green is much brighter than red, then you are farsighted. If you see scarlet as a richer color than green, then you are nearsighted.
Astigmatism test or Siemens Star
Astigmatism is a visual ailment that is characterized by a violation of the shape of the lens and, as a result, blurry vision. The test is designed taking into account the uniform refraction of light rays in different planes.
Instructions:
- Look carefully at the drawing. Do all the bars appear uniformly clear and saturated to you? Are there any gaps or poorly painted lines?
Result: if you find a poorly visible line, then immediately run to the ophthalmologist. If you don’t see any differences between the stripes, then there are no problems.
When using any of the tests suggested above, remember that this is not a panacea. Even if, according to the results of all home checks, your vision is enviable, still visit an ophthalmologist at least once every two years. A competent specialist will see the changes occurring in the first stages and prescribe preventive treatment. As you know, treatment is more difficult than prevention.
Amsler table
This test is also called the Amsler lattice and the Amsler grid. Testing determines the presence of disturbances in the central visual fields. Externally, the table looks like a grid field with a thick black dot in the very middle.
Instructions:
- Concentrate your gaze on the black dot, that is, on the center of the square.
- Use your peripheral vision to observe the edges of the bars.
Result: Evaluate what you saw. If the edges of the mesh are smooth, then everything is fine with vision. In some cases, the square may bend. This symptom indicates the presence of macular degeneration. You cannot hesitate to contact a doctor.
How to protect yourself and preserve your vision
If you work in an office, a bank or any other institution where employees constantly sit in front of a monitor, use our rules:
- The distance from the eyes to the computer screen should not exceed 0.5 meters.
- The computer or laptop should not be located opposite the window. Light from the window hits the screen, then reflects and glares. The eyes begin to strain.
- Maintain good hygiene. Keep your work area clean. Wipe the keyboard and monitor with special wipes.
- The lighting in the room should be bright enough, but not in your eyes.
- If you feel that your eyes are tense and tired, then start doing eyeball exercises. Look into the distance, then move your gaze to an object located nearby. Repeat the exercise ten times. Close your eyes several times and relax them. Make several rotational movements with your eyeballs to the left, then to the right.
- Before going to bed, you can relax your eyes by applying warm compresses. Chamomile tincture or regular freshly brewed tea will do.
- Impact your vision from the inside. Change your daily diet. Add tangerines, oranges, pumpkin, carrots, persimmons, and bell peppers to it. Blueberries, honey, apricots and so on also have a positive effect on the body.
Video - Tables for vision tests and exercises
Parents should teach their children to do relaxing eye exercises during school breaks. This will reduce tension, eye tone, and eliminate fatigue.
Testing your vision at home is a simple procedure. If you care about your own health, then try checking your visual acuity yourself. Testing will show at least an approximate indicator.
The Amsler test (also known as the macular degeneration test) makes it possible to identify pathology of the macula, which is responsible for central vision. Typically, this pathology can be a consequence of an independent disease (macular degeneration, which occurs in older people) or a symptom of other ailments (for example, diabetes).
So what is the Amsler table? Essentially this is a black square on a white background, consisting of 4 hundred small squares. The point in the middle of the square is the place where a person should focus his gaze. All lines in this case are smooth and do not intersect; all angles are 90 degrees. The grid below can be printed (to make it easier), but you can also take the Amsler test online.
Features of passing the test
To get more accurate results, follow a few simple rules:
- take the test while you are in good health (some factors - such as stress, taking medications or drinking alcohol - can distort the test result);
- check the eye with the best vision first;
- if you use glasses or lenses, before starting the test, be sure to check them for cleanliness, and only then put them on;
- do not squint or move your head when taking the Amsler test, and do not look away from the point on the table;
- It is recommended to take the test in a room with good lighting (preferably natural).
How to pass the Amsler test correctly - step-by-step instructions
Step one. First, put on your glasses/lenses (if you use them all the time, of course).
Step two. With one eye, look carefully at the point located in the table.
Step three. Smoothly, without taking your eyes off, approach the table until the distance is reduced to approximately 20-30 cm.
Step four. Analyze what you see, see if the corners or lines are distorted. See if the squares are the same and if they have the correct shape. Also look for any cloudy or blurry areas in the reticle.
Step five. Check the other eye in the same way.
Evaluating the test results
To do this, you need to answer a few simple questions.
- The lines had no breaks, were they straight?
- Were there disappearing/appearing light spots at the intersections of the lines?
- Did you see all 4 corners without looking away from the point?
If the answers to all these questions were positive (that is, the picture was clear, the squares were the same, the lines were parallel, etc.), then everything is fine with your vision and there are no symptoms of macular degeneration.
Important! But if the lines are distorted and look wavy, then try to visit the ophthalmologist’s office as soon as possible! This could be a sign of macular degeneration!
Another version of the Amsler table
The grid described above may look slightly different.
Despite the fact that the testing procedure is no different from that described earlier, the eyes in this case should move closer to the picture until the red spot disappears completely (the left one if the left eye is being tested, and the right one when testing the right one). Also note that the first version of the table is larger and is considered more informative, because it allows you to see blurriness that goes unnoticed on a black background.
Note! This test should be regularly taken by people over 45 years of age (the fact is that it is at this age that in most cases the development of macular degeneration begins). If you are over 60, you should take the Amsler test at least every month.
Video – Amsler Test
The Amsler test is used to test central vision. A simple test detects early symptoms of retinal pathologies such as macular degeneration (AMD) and diabetic macular edema of the retina.
Instructions for using the Amsler grid
The test is a grid of 7*7 cells with a black bold dot marking the place of visual fixation.
Each eye is checked separately.
- The test is carried out in good light at a close distance.
- Wear reading glasses (if you use reading glasses).
- Keep the Amsler grid at a reading distance (35 cm).
- Cover your left eye with your hand.
- Look with the other eye at the center point
- When looking at the point, pay attention to the area around the line and point.
- Now close your right eye and repeat the test
How to interpret the test?
Normally, the vertical and horizontal lines of the grid are straight, without kinks, distortions or darkening.
After the test, answer the following questions
- Did you see distortion of the lines, spots around?
- Did the cells differ in size and shape?
- Are the grid lines the same thickness and color?
If the answer to any of the questions is positive, contact an ophthalmologist immediately for examination.
It is necessary to check your vision once a year, even if there are no symptoms of deterioration. If they are present, you should be examined more often. The check takes place using ophthalmological tables. There are several types that are used to examine adults and children. Let's find out what tables there are for vision testing and how they differ.
What tables are there for vision testing?
Eyesight is checked at an ophthalmologist's office. He uses tables that reveal whether there are refractive errors and at what stage the visual pathology is. Next, with the help of equipment and devices, the causes of visual impairment are determined, and all the necessary parameters are established for the selection of means for correcting visual pathology.
The most common table that is used to determine visual acuity is called the Sivtsev table. Almost everyone has known her since childhood from school medical examinations. It consists of printed signs with two large letters at the top - “Ш” and “Б”. There are other methods and ophthalmological tables for checking vision. Let's look at them in order.
What are the features of the Sivtsev table and how is it applied?
The table, created by the scientist, ophthalmologist Dmitry Aleksandrovich Sivtsev, is made in the form of a poster with printed optotypes - W, Y, B, I, K, M, N, inscribed in 12 lines in different orders. Gradually the optotypes decrease from the 12th line to the 1st. To the right of the letters is the letter V. It is expressed not in diopters, as many believe, but in a conventional unit. To the left of the optotypes is another value indicating the distance (D) at which a person without vision problems can freely see the letters. The poster is illuminated with 700 lux lamps.
The right and left eyes are checked separately. The patient sits on a chair, straightening his back, five meters from the table and covers his eyes with a plastic shield. The doctor shows the letter with a pointer, and the person being tested must name it. If he named all the signs, visual acuity is complete. If errors are made, then there is a refractive error. Next, the ophthalmologist calculates the acuity index. If the value is less than 0.1, the patient is diagnosed with myopia (myopia); if the value exceeds 0.1, the patient is diagnosed with farsightedness (hyperopia).
Golovin table
It is similar to the table proposed by Sivtsev. In it, the optotypes are Landolt rings - black circles with a gap on one side. Golovin's method is more reliable, since it is almost impossible to remember rings, like letters. When passing a commission at the military registration and enlistment office, this is the table that is often used.
To examine children who do not yet know letters, and Landolt rings are too complex symbols for them, Orlova’s table is used, which depicts not a circle or letters, but animals, fruits and other pictures that the child can name.
Optotypes of Pole
This is a vision testing method created by the domestic ophthalmologist and scientist Boris Lvovich Polyak for medical, social and military medical examination. On the poster, sticks, strokes, and rings located close to the patient’s eyes act as optotypes. The width of the gaps that the patient sees, the thickness of the lines, which differs between those being tested, show what his visual acuity is.
Snellen chart check
Another table for checking visual acuity was invented by Hermann Snellen, an ophthalmologist from the Netherlands. The table was created back in 1862, but today it is considered one of the most accurate. It consists of 11 lines and capital Latin letters. They gradually decrease in size, starting from the 10th top line. Large letters of the 11th row should be distinguishable from 60 meters by a person with good eyesight. Also, the absence of refractive errors allows you to see lines located below the 11th line from a distance of 36, 24, 18, 12, 9, 6, 5 meters (as the letters decrease).
During the examination, the patient is located at a distance of 6 m from the stand. He covers one eye with his hand and reads the letters with the other. Visual acuity is determined by the lowest row that the patient can see. The doctor will calculate the readings in diopters.
The table is used mainly in Western countries, since the distance in it is indicated in feet, and the letters are in Latin.
Siemens star
The Siemens method is another vision testing method in which the table is a star of 54 black rays on a white background. The diameter of the star is fixed (10 cm). The rays stretch from the edge to the center. The edges form a circle. A person without visual impairment from five meters sees how black rays merge in the middle of their length. At this moment, 2.5 cm remains to the center of the star. At a distance of more than 5 m from the poster, the rays gather into a blurry gray image.
If a person has a visual pathology, the rays merge with the white background, overlap each other, and closer to the center they become distinguishable again. In this case, the star acquires a black background, and the rays become white, that is, it turns into its own negative.
The advantage of the technique is that it helps to identify not only hypermetropia and myopia, but also astigmatism, in which the outer border of the rays forms an ellipse rather than a circle.
Duochrome test
It is used to determine myopia and farsightedness. The vision test table is a rectangle divided into two halves. One half is painted red and the other half is painted green. The letters are located in the center of the quadrangle. The patient looks at the poster and tells the doctor which color letters on the field are easier for him to distinguish. If he sees optotypes on a red background, then he has myopia; if he sees signs better on a green background, he suffers from hypermetropia. With good vision, optotypes are visible on both halves of the rectangle. If the patient already has vision problems, then the test is carried out with glasses or glasses that he wears. After the procedure, the doctor will adjust the optical power of the correction device used by the patient.
Amsler grid
The Amsler grid or lattice is used to test central vision, making it possible to identify retinal macular degeneration, scotomas, and metamorphopsia (distortion of objects in shape and size). The grid is a large black square with small squares inside on a white background. There is a black dot in the center of the lattice. The patient looks at it from a distance of 30 cm with one eye for about 5 seconds, after which he approaches it 10 cm and looks again for 5 seconds. Next comes the starting position. With good vision, all lines and angles of the grating will be straight. If they are bent, then we can talk about problems with the retina.
The doctor decides which table to use for testing, based on the indications.
Eye examination at the ophthalmologist and at home
Is it possible to test visual acuity at home? You can make Sivtsev’s table yourself. To do this, you will need 4 A4 sheets with the optotypes depicted on them. They can be downloaded online and printed. You need to fasten the sheets with tape and place them on the wall. Another option is to use online services for verification. You will not be able to accurately determine your visual acuity at home, but it is possible to find out if you have vision problems. If you notice that you have difficulty distinguishing between optotypes, make an appointment with your doctor and get tested.