Visual Field Screening
Visual Field Screening or Visual Field Analysis measures the extent of your field of vision. The most common cause of visual field loss is Glaucoma, a silent, usually symptomless disease process of the optic nerve. Glaucoma is the second most common cause of vision loss in the Western world, most often affecting those over 40 years of age or with a family history of Glaucoma.
There are many other causes of visual field loss, including temporary loss from migraines or transient ischaemic attacks (TIAs). More sinister causes include retinal detachment, some types of strokes and some types of brain tumours.
Visual Field Screening is performed where indicated and takes a few minutes per eye with a computerised instrument. There are strict visual field requirements for driving motor vehicles and flying aircraft. Some people, especially those over 75 years of age, require a medical certificate for driving and computerised visual field analysis can provide reassurance that fields of vision are normal – in many conditions that affect visual fields, the individual does not necessarily notice there is a problem and may be quite confident that all is normal.