What eye problems does the Amsler Grid detect?
The Amsler Grid was originally developed by Marc Amsler to allow patients to test their own central vision for early signs of macular degeneration, a disease that affects the small central portion of the retina called the macula. Although the macula is only about inch in diameter, it controls virtually all of the eye’s central vision. Macular degeneration occurs most often after the age of 50 and is the most common cause of irreversible loss of central vision in the United States. Early detection of the problem is critical to saving eyesight. The Amsler Grid is also used to detect macular edema, a common cause of severe visual impairment brought on by diabetes.
