Checking your central vision at home with an Amsler grid
A one-minute check which people with macular conditions use between appointments. How to look at the grid, what a change looks like, and what to do if you see one.
This grid helps you notice a change. It does not diagnose anything, and a normal-looking grid does not mean your eyes are fine. Keep your sight tests and clinic appointments.
How to use the grid
- Wear your reading glasses if you use them.
- Hold the grid in good light at your normal reading distance, about 30 cm.
- Cover one eye. Keep the other eye on the dot in the centre the whole time.
- While looking at the dot, notice the lines around it. They should look straight, even and complete.
- Swap eyes and repeat.
What a change looks like
- Lines which bend, wave or bulge.
- Squares which look different sizes.
- A blurred, grey or missing patch, often near the centre.
The Macular Society suggests drawing the area on a printed grid with a pencil and taking the sheet to your eye clinic, so the team can see where the change is.
What to do if you see a change
A new distortion, or one which has got worse, should be assessed by an optometrist or your eye clinic as soon as possible. If you have wet age-related macular degeneration, use the fast-track number your clinic gave you. If sight changes suddenly, use the urgent page below. Do not wait for your next routine appointment.
Why the centre matters
The macula is the small central part of the retina which handles reading, faces and fine detail. Conditions which affect it, such as age-related macular degeneration, often change the centre first while side vision stays the same. The grid puts a regular pattern right where those changes show.
Age-related macular degeneration guide See central vision loss in the explorer When sight changes suddenlyCommon questions
Who should use an Amsler grid?
People with a macular condition, or anyone an optometrist or eye doctor has asked to keep an eye on their central vision. It is a way to notice a change early, not a test which rules anything in or out.
How often should I check?
Ask your eye clinic. Many people check each eye once a week, at the same distance, in the same light, wearing their reading glasses.
What if the lines look wavy?
New wavy, blurred or missing areas need an optometrist or your eye clinic as soon as possible. The Macular Society says any sudden distortion of central vision should be assessed as soon as possible. A sudden change is urgent.
Sources
- Macular Society: optometrist Yuan Gao on monitoring vision at home
- NHS: age-related macular degeneration
Checked 4 October 2026. Official pages change, so follow the NHS page for the current position.
- Written by
- The Omnirx.io team, from the NHS pages above
- Sources checked
- Page updated
- Next review due
- Clinical review
- Not yet
Was this page useful?
Cite this page
Glanced (2026) Checking your central vision at home with an Amsler grid. Omnirx.io team for Medstack Ltd. Available at: https://www.glanced.co.uk/nhs/amsler/ (Accessed: ).
Educational information, not medical advice. Your own eye-care team's advice comes first.