Macular degeneration
A blurred or dark patch in the centre of vision, more common after 50.
Amsler Grid Test
A home check of your central vision. Look at the dot, one eye at a time, and notice whether the lines around it stay straight.
- Senior Consultant Eye Surgeons
- 50+ combined years in ophthalmology
- Seven clinics in six locations islandwide
Camden (Orchard)Joo ChiatClementiBedokToa PayohJurong
Found this helpful?
The Amsler grid chart
Twenty squares by twenty, with a dot in the middle. Look at the dot with one eye at a time.
How to do the Amsler grid test
One eye at a time, in about a minute.
- Wear your usual reading glasses, and check in good, even light.
- Hold the grid at your normal reading distance, about 30–35 cm from your eyes.
- Cover one eye with your hand.
- With the other eye, look straight at the centre dot and keep looking at it.
- While you look at the dot, notice whether any lines look wavy, bent, blurred, dark or missing, or whether the squares differ in size.
- Note where any such area is, then repeat with the other eye.
If any lines look wavy, blurred, dark or missing, or anything has changed since your last check, arrange to see an eye specialist soon, and tell them what you noticed.
What to look for on the grid
Anything that is not a straight, even line.
-
A normal grid
-
Simulated: a distorted grid
- Wavy or bent lines. Straight lines that ripple, bow or kink near the dot.
- A blurred or grey patch. An area where the lines look faint or smudged.
- Missing lines. A gap, or a dark spot, where part of the grid seems to disappear.
- Uneven squares. Some squares looking larger or smaller than the rest.
A change may show in one eye only. The other eye can fill in the gap without you noticing, which is why each eye is checked on its own.
Noticed a change on the grid? Tell our friendly staff what you have seen and they will arrange the right appointment.
What a change on the grid can mean
The grid checks the macula, the small centre of the retina you read and recognise faces with.
Macular hole or membrane
Straight lines look wavy or bent, or text blurs in the middle.
Swelling at the macula
Fluid at the centre of the retina.
The eye specialist looks at the macula directly, often with an OCT scan of the retina.
The Amsler grid is a screening aid, not a diagnosis. A normal grid does not rule out disease progression, and it does not replace scheduled dilated eye examinations, particularly with known risk factors for age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
The Amsler test in an eye screening
A baseline comprehensive eye examination is recommended at the age of 40, even when nothing feels wrong. Two of our screening packages include an Amsler test.
| Screening package | Price |
|---|---|
| Diabetic retinal screening | $99 |
| Comprehensive eye screening | $249 |
Prices shown are for our community clinics at Bedok, Clementi, Toa Payoh and Jurong. All fees shown are nett, and each figure is the price of the whole screening package.
The screening packages are optometrist-led and every report is reviewed by an ophthalmologist.
Common questions
What is an Amsler grid?
A square grid of straight lines with a dot at the centre. You look at the dot with one eye at a time and notice whether the lines around it stay straight and complete. It checks the macula, the small central part of the retina you read and recognise faces with.
How do you use an Amsler grid?
Wear your reading glasses, hold the grid at your normal reading distance and cover one eye. Look at the centre dot and keep looking at it. Without moving your eye, notice whether any lines look wavy, blurred, dark or missing. Note where anything you see is, then do the same with the other eye.
What does an abnormal Amsler grid look like?
Lines that bend or ripple, a blurred or grey patch, an area where the lines disappear, or squares that look larger or smaller than the rest. It may affect one eye only, which is why each eye is checked on its own.
What size should an Amsler grid be?
The standard grid is 10 cm square, twenty squares by twenty, each 5 mm across, held about 30 to 35 cm from the eyes.
Can I do the Amsler grid test on my phone or screen?
Yes. The grid changes size with the device, so use the same device, at the same distance, each time you check, and a change is easier to notice.
How often should I check with the Amsler grid?
As often as your eye doctor advises. Check in the same light, at the same distance and with the same glasses each time, so that a change stands out.
Does a normal Amsler grid mean my eyes are healthy?
No. The Amsler grid is a screening aid, not a diagnosis. A normal grid does not rule out disease progression, and it does not replace scheduled dilated eye examinations, particularly with known risk factors for age-related macular degeneration.
Is an Amsler test part of an eye screening?
Yes, in the $99 diabetic retinal screening and the $249 comprehensive eye screening at our community clinics in Bedok, Clementi, Toa Payoh and Jurong. All fees shown are nett.
Noticed a change on the grid?
Send us a message with what you have seen and a time that suits, and our staff will arrange the appointment.
