Tips on Taking a Successful Field of Vision Test

A peripheral vision test is performed by a healthcare professional to test the distance an individual can see off to the sides, above and below the central area of the retina. A test of the visual field of an individual is competed using one of three commonly used tests: the confrontational visual field exam, the tangent screen (or Goldmann) field test and the automated perimetry test, Medline Plus reports.

Vision

• The central area of the retina behind the eye is the part of the eye that picks up on light signals and passes them to the brain to be converted into vision. Around the peripheral area of the retina, the light signals that enter the eye are not picked up as easily because the light signals are passed through a nerve known as the ganglion cell. When the communications passed from the peripheral areas of the retina to the ganglion cell are interrupted before they reach the brain, problems occur with the peripheral vision of the individual.

Preparation

• There are no specific ways of preparing for a peripheral vision test, according to Medline Plus. The test does not cause any discomfort to the patient. The instructions offered by the healthcare professional administering the test should be followed for a successful test. In each type of peripheral test completed, the individual taking the test is asked to stare at a centralized object or target. To complete the test correctly, individuals should fix their vision on the central object throughout the test.

Types

• The confrontation peripheral vision test is completed by the patient covering one eye and sitting in front of a healthcare professional. While staring ahead the patient should tell the healthcare professional as soon as they see their hand come into view. The tangent screen or Goldmann field test uses a screen positioned three feet away on which objects are shown. To successfully complete the Goldmann field test, the individual should tell the healthcare professional as soon as the object comes into view. The automated perimetry test requires the patient to sit in front of a concave dome and stare directly ahead at an object in the center of the dome. A button should be pressed quickly when a flashing object is seen on the dome.

Medical

• Peripheral-vision tests are completed to aid healthcare professionals in diagnosing any illnesses or medical conditions the patient may be suffering from. The peripheral-vision test can aid in the diagnosis of glaucoma and conditions of the central nervous system. Other conditions that can be diagnosed include diabetes, an overactive thyroid and high blood pressure.