The Amsler grid, used since 1945, is a grid of horizontal and vertical lines used to monitor a person's central visual field. It is a diagnostic tool that aids in the detection of visual disturbances caused by changes in the retina, particularly the macula (e.g. macular degeneration, Epiretinal membrane), as well as the optic nerve and the visual pathway to the brain.

Amsler grids can be obtained from an ophthalmologist or optometrist and may be used to test one's vision at home    

Instructions for using the Amsler grid

• · Test your vision with adequate lighting.
• · Wear your reading glasses or look through the reading portion of your bifocals (if you normally read with spectacles).
• · Hold the Amsler grid at normal reading distance (about 14 inches).
• · Cover one eye at a time with the palm of your hand.
• · Stare at the center dot of the chart at all times.
• · Do not let your eye drift from the center dot.

Ask yourself the following questions as you check each eye separately:

• · Are any of the lines crooked or bent?
• · Are any of the boxes different in size or shape from the others?
• · Are any of the lines wavy, missing, blurry, or discolored?

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