Amsler Grid Test
Check the centre of your vision for wavy, blurred or missing areas, one eye at a time.
The Amsler grid is a simple square of evenly spaced lines with a dot in the middle. It was designed to check the central part of your visual field, which is served by the macula, the small area of the retina responsible for reading, recognising faces and seeing fine detail. When the macula is damaged, straight lines can look bent or wavy (metamorphopsia), and parts of the grid can appear blurred, faded or missing (a scotoma).
Eye doctors often recommend regular Amsler checks to people with, or at risk of, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and sometimes to people with diabetic retinopathy or other macular conditions. Its value lies in noticing change early: the wet form of AMD can progress quickly, and prompt treatment helps protect sight.
In this online version you cover one eye, keep looking at the central dot, and click or tap any area that looks wavy, distorted, blurred or missing. The tool then shows a summary of the marked areas for each eye, which you can note down and compare over time. A normal result does not exclude eye disease, and a screen image is not as standardised as a printed clinical chart, so treat the test as a self-monitoring aid between professional examinations.
How to use
- Sit about 30-40 cm from the screen, roughly normal reading distance, in good, even lighting.
- Wear your reading glasses or usual near correction if you have them.
- Cover one eye with your palm without pressing on it.
- Look steadily at the central dot the whole time; do not let your gaze wander across the grid.
- While fixating, notice whether all lines look straight, all squares equal and all four corners visible.
- Click or tap any area that looks wavy, blurred, dark or missing, then switch eyes and repeat.
- Save or write down the summary and repeat the check regularly, for example once a week, as your doctor advises.
Reading your result
A normal result means every line looked straight and continuous, the squares appeared the same size and you could see the whole grid while looking at the centre. Mild unevenness at the very edge of the grid is common if your eye drifted from the dot.
Wavy, bent or broken lines, a grey or dark patch, or a missing area close to the centre may point to a problem with the macula. If these changes are new, have got worse since your last check, or appear in only one eye, contact an eye doctor promptly, ideally within a few days. If the change appeared suddenly, together with a drop in vision, seek same-day care. Bring the marked summary with you; it helps the clinician understand what you noticed.
Caution: Screening only, not a diagnosis. Sudden distortion, a new dark spot in central vision or rapid loss of reading vision is an urgent warning sign: see an eye doctor the same day.
Frequently asked questions
How often should I use the Amsler grid?
People at risk of macular disease are often advised to check each eye once a week, or as their eye doctor recommends. The key is consistency, so you notice change early.
Why do I have to cover one eye?
With both eyes open, the healthy eye can fill in what the other eye misses, hiding a problem. Testing each eye alone reveals differences.
The lines look wavy but I see fine. Should I worry?
Distortion can appear before reading vision drops. If it is new or persistent, book an eye examination soon rather than waiting for other symptoms.
Can the Amsler grid detect glaucoma?
Not reliably. Glaucoma usually affects peripheral vision first, which the grid does not cover. Regular eye pressure and optic nerve checks are needed for glaucoma.