Visual Field

Testing

As you focus on a single point, your visual field encompasses everything you can see. Visual field testing is an essential eye exam that helps identify any blind spots or peripheral vision loss. This exam is particularly important for people who are at high risk of eye diseases or other issues, such as those with diabetes or high blood pressure. Early detection of eye conditions can prevent gradual vision loss.

There are different types of visual field tests that may be conducted during your comprehensive eye exam. Here are a few examples:

Confrontation Visual Field Test

During this test, your eye doctor will ask you to cover one eye and focus on an object directly in front of you. They will then hold up fingers or objects off to the side to assess your periphery or side vision.

Automated Static Perimetry Test

This test creates a detailed map of your visual field using a computer. Your doctor will ask you to look straight ahead at a bowl-shaped device called a perimeter. Each eye will be tested separately, and you’ll press a button whenever you see lights flashing in different areas of the bowl. The instrument records which lights you saw and didn’t see and prints out the results for your eye doctor to review.

Kinetic Visual Field Test

A kinetic visual field test is a type of eye exam used to evaluate a person’s peripheral vision or side vision. It is like the automated static perimetry test, but instead of flashing lights, it uses moving light targets to test a person’s visual field. During the test, you’ll be asked to look at a central point while small objects of different sizes and brightness move in from the sides of the visual field. The test evaluates how well you can see and track these moving objects in your peripheral vision. The results of the test can help detect and diagnose a variety of eye conditions and diseases that can affect peripheral vision, such as glaucoma, retinitis pigmentosa, and optic nerve damage.

Frequency Doubling Perimetry Test

Frequency Doubling Perimetry (FDP) test is a type of visual field test used to detect early changes in the visual field, especially in the detection of glaucoma. Glaucoma is an eye disease that causes damage to the optic nerve and can lead to blindness if left untreated.

The FDP test works by using a pattern of stripes that are presented on a screen or special instrument. The stripes appear to “double” in frequency as they move across the screen. The patient is asked to press a button every time they see the pattern, which helps to create a map of the patient’s visual field.

The test is quick and easy to perform, and it can detect visual field defects that may not be detected with other visual field tests. It is also useful in detecting early changes in the visual field that can be missed with other tests.

Electroretinography

This test assesses loss of vision by placing a tiny electrode on the cornea to record your eye’s response to flashing lights in the perimeter.

Amsler Grid

This test checks for diseases that affect central vision, such as macular degeneration. Your doctor will ask you to look at a dot in the center of a pattern of straight lines that form a grid of equal squares. You’ll describe any areas that appear wavy, blurry, or blank.

Regular visual field testing is a crucial part of eye care, especially for individuals at high risk of eye diseases. If you have concerns about your visual field or any changes in your vision, consult with your eye care provider at Southern Eye Centers in Baton Rouge, LA or Plaquemine, LA. They will conduct the appropriate visual field testing for you and help detect any vision problems before they worsen.