Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) / Monitor Your Vision
Monitor your vision. It’s easy and important.
Between regular visits with your eye care professional, you can check your vision at home with an Amsler grid. It resembles a sheet of graph paper with a dot printed in the center. While staring at the dot, you may notice that the straight lines appear wavy, or that some of the lines seem to be missing. Looking at an Amsler grid regularly will help you stay alert to changes in your vision that may require immediate attention.
Click here to download and print an Amsler Grid
An Amsler grid normally looks like this.
What an Amsler grid might look like to someone with AMD.
How to use an Amsler grid:1
- Wear the eyeglasses that you normally wear for reading.
- Position the chart 14 inches away from your face.
- Cover one eye at a time with your hand.
- Stare at the dot in the center. Do not let your eye drift from the center dot.
- Contact your eye doctor immediately if:
- Any of the straight lines appear wavy or bent,
- Any of the boxes differ in size or shape from the others, or
- Any of the lines are missing, blurry or discolored.
References
- Source: www.amslergrid.org. Accessed 08/11.