Check your eye health
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD)
Amsler's grid allows for the detection of vision abnormalities that may be signs of age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
(Age-Related Macular Degeneration): decreased visual acuity, central blind spot, distortion of straight lines.
Instructions for use:
Cover one eye and fixate on the center of the grid with the other eye. If the vision in one eye has suddenly decreased,
or if you feel that the grid is distorted, contact us.
AMD is caused by the abnormal accumulation of waste products produced by the visual cycle (biochemical reactions transforming light into a nerve message also called the retinoid cycle); these wastes are recycled in young subjects, thus preventing their accumulation thanks to the action of the pigment epithelium (the layer of cells located between the photoreceptors and the choroidal blood circulation).
The accumulation of waste (also called drusen) between the photoreceptor cells of the retina (photoreceptors) and the underlying choroidal blood circulation can disrupt the oxygenation of the photoreceptors and lead to a vicious cycle (lack of oxygenation leading to increased deposits) that can lead to the evolution towards the atrophic (dry) form of AMD or towards the exudative (wet) form.
The Amsler grid (named after the Swiss ophthalmologist Marc Amsler) is a practical tool that allows some of our patients to easily monitor the progression of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). In the case of AMD, the perception of the grid is altered: areas may be invisible, and the lines may be distorted. Here are some examples of how this can be perceived:
The Amsler grid for AMD screening
