How to Test Peripheral Vision at Home

Peripheral vision is what you see outside of your direct gaze. Peripheral vision in humans is better for motion than it is for the recognition of colors or shapes. A variety of neurological diseases and disorders, including glaucoma, strokes and migraines, can cause peripheral vision to weaken significantly. It is fairly easy to test your peripheral vision at home.

Things You'll Need

• Piece of cardboard 1 foot by 2 feet
• Push pin
• Pencil
• String
• Small plastic cup
• Glue
• Various colored markers
• Index cards
• Another person

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Instructions

Create the Testing Device

• 1

  Place a push pin midway along one of the 2-foot sides of a piece of cardboard that measures 1 foot by 2 feet.

• 2

  Tie a piece of string around the pin and tie the other end of the string around a pencil 1 foot from the pin. Use this to draw a half-circle.

• 3

  Wrap the string around the stick pin so as to draw a half circle about 3/4 of an inch in diameter. This will serve as your nose rest.

• 4

  Remove the pin and use your scissors to cut out the nose rest and to trim the cardboard along the edge of the larger half-circle you drew.

• 5

  Place the pin at the very edge of the large half-circle directly across from the nose rest. This will serve as your focus point.

• 6

  Glue the cup bottom to the center of the bottom of the cardboard device. This will act as your handle.

• 7

  Use your colored markers to draw shapes such as circles, square, stars and rectangles in different colors on different index cards.

Perform the Test

• 8

  Hold the testing device parallel to the floor with your nose in the nose rest.

• 9

  Have your partner hold one card at a time at the outer edge of the cardboard just above the testing device, beginning farthest from the focus point and moving slowly toward the focus point.

• 10

  Take note of when the object first enters your vision and when you can distinguish the color and shape. You will notice that the object is significantly closer when you can distinguish the color and shape.

• 11

  Repeat the testing steps for the other eye.