AM I SUFFERING FROM MACULAR DISEASES?
Daily self-check using an Amsler Chart

The Amsler chart:

  • It is a 10 x 10 cm square grid formed by multiple white lines on a black background and with a white dot at the center.
  • It is very useful for detecting signs of macular diseases such as the wet form of aged-related macular degeneration (AMD) and maculopathy from high degree of myopia (> 600 degrees).
  • It is however, not a substitute for regularly scheduled eye examination by eye doctors.

Steps in using an Amsler chart:

  1. Hold the chart at a reading distance of 12 inches or 30 cm; adequate and even lighting is important.
  2. You should wear your fully prescribed spectacles and for elderly, their reading glasses, during the test.
  3. Cover the left eye, and use your right eye to focus on the center dot.
  4. If you notice any signs of macular diseases such as wavy, broken or distorted lines or blurred or missing areas of vision within the chart, you should contact your eye doctor for an examination as early as possible.
  5. Repeated the above examining on your left eye.
Fact Sheet Main