Amsler’s chart
Age-related macular degeneration, an incurable eye disease, is the leading cause of blindness for Americans age 55 and older. AMD affects more than 10 million Americans.

AMD is caused by deterioration of the central portion of the retina, the inside back layer of the eye that records images and sends them from the eye to the brain. The retina’s central portion, known as the macula, is focuses central vision in the eye, controls our ability to read, recognize faces or colors, and to see objects in fine detail.

The American Macular Degeneration Foundation provides a an Amsler's chart for you to print from home to test your eyes at
www.macular.org/chart.html.

Print out the chart. Tape the page at eye level. Cover one eye. Fix your gaze on the black dot. Keeping your gaze fixed, try to see if any lines are distorted or missing. Mark the defect on the chart. Test each eye separately. If the distortion is new or has worsened, see your opthlamologist at once.

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