NEW VISUAL FIELD UNITS HELP US DIAGNOSE EYE DISEASE

Our number one priority at MVO is to protect your eyesight. As you know we take this responsibility seriously and are always investing in education, technology and equipment that helps us do this better. 

Recently we upgraded our Visual Field Analyzers at each office. How do these devices help our eye doctors look after your vision? By testing your peripheral vision.

Many diseases of the eye and visual pathway show up with changes to one’s peripheral vision. Most often, these changes are so subtle that they are very unlikely for someone to notice on their own. This is because our peripheral vision is much less sensitive than our central vision.

What are the diseases that can show up on a peripheral vision test? Here are just a few:

• Glaucoma – known as the “Silent Thief of Sight” it will cause subtle changes to peripheral vision in the beginning stages. Early intervention is critical to avoid blindness from this common condition.
• Stroke – the damage to the brain caused by a serious stroke can result in peripheral vision loss.
• Brain tumours – depending on the location, there are often patterns of peripheral vision loss that show up on computerized field-testing instruments.
• Multiple Sclerosis – unfortunately we see this condition quite a bit in Alberta; running a computerized visual field test often helps with the diagnosis.
• Vascular Disease – most often age-related, various forms of disease related to blood vessel blockage or inflammation can be diagnosed with the help of a computerized visual field test.

While a computerized visual field test can be lengthy and monotonous for a patient to perform, our new units are faster, more efficient and easier to get valid results. They also give us the ability to compare sequential test results over several visits to get an idea of whether a condition is progressing. 

As always, we welcome any questions about any of the tests we are prescribing, and we remain committed to providing you with the best technology available for a lifetime of healthy eyes and clear vision.