How to Test Peripheral Vision Up Close
A test for peripheral vision provides information about how well you see close-up objects to the side while staring straight ahead. Testing peripheral vision is important because a loss of peripheral vision can be a symptom of disease or problems with the brain.
Instructions
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Stare straight ahead, and without turning your head or eyes check for blurriness on the edge of your vision. Blurriness is one of the "B"s associated with a loss of peripheral vision. The other "B" is bumping. Bumping into objects alongside you can also be a symptom of reduced peripheral vision. If you experience "blurriness" or "bumping," it might indicate that you have lost some peripheral vision and need an eye exam.
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Contact an ophthalmologist or an optometrist to schedule a vision test. Ophthalmologists and optometrists specialize in eye and vision care and are trained to conduct eye exams and interpret the results. To test thoroughly for reduced peripheral vision, several eye exams are required.
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Start with a confrontation visual field exam. For this test, the doctor will ask you to cover one eye and stare forward with the uncovered eye. While sitting in front of you, the doctor will move her hand and ask you to tell her when you see it. If you don't see her hand in all positions, she will do more tests.
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Progress to an automated perimetry exam. For this exam, you will stare at an object on a concave surface. When you see a small light flash to the side, you will press a button. The doctor uses your responses to decide whether you have a loss of peripheral vision. If you do, she will conduct a test to map your side vision.
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Map your peripheral vision with a Goldmann field test if your peripheral vision is diminished. During this exam, you will stare at an object in the center of a screen that is three feet from your eyes. You will tell the doctor when you can see an object off to the side. This exam is used to map how much of your peripheral vision is intact or missing.
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Tips & Warnings
Get regular annual eye exams if you have a disease such as diabetes that causes eye damage.
Get periodic eye exams even if you don't have a disease that can cause vision problems. Some eye problems can become serious before they affect your vision.
Vision loss can make life challenging and cause other health problems. For example, people with low vision often cannot drive legally. When your vision is poor and cannot be corrected with glasses or surgery, you are more prone to falls and broken bones.
Don't ignore vision problems. The earlier eye and vision problems are detected, the more successfully they can be treated.
