Detecting Age Related Macular Degeneration.
This is the Amsler Grid
Developed by a Swiss Opthalmologist Marc Amsler, the amsler grid has been used since 1945 for detecting age related macular degeneration. It is a grid of horizontal and vertical lines used to monitor a person’s central vision. Age related macular degeneration causes the loss of central vision and is the most common cause of sight loss.
The amsler grid is a diagnostic tool that aids in the detection of visual disturbances caused by changes in the retina and particularly the part known as the Macular the Epitetinal membrane as well as the optic nerve and the visual pathway to the brain. To someone with normal vision the grid looks as it does above. To someone with age related macular degeneration it looks like the grid below.
This is an artists impression of how the grid may look but I know of people with age related macular degeneration who have said the window frames are wavy and the pavements come up to meet them.Amsler grids are available from opthalmologists/opticians and can be found on websites for home testing. You can use this link to download a free grid.Click this link to get your copy of an Amsler Grid.
The original Amsler grid was black and white but there is a colour version with a blue and yellow grid which is more sensitive and can be used to test for a wide variety of visual pathway abnormalities, including those associated with the retina,optic nerve and pituitary gland.
