Amsler grid test results
What normal and abnormal results look like, and what to do about each.
Updated November 13, 2026 · General information, not medical advice.
A normal result
While you look at the center dot with one eye:
- all lines are straight and unbroken;
- all squares are the same size and shape;
- all four corners and sides are visible;
- nothing is blurry, dim, dark or blank.
A normal grid is reassuring, but it does not rule out eye disease. The grid misses some early changes, and it checks only central vision. Keep your regular eye exams.
An abnormal result
| What you see | What doctors call it | What it can point to |
|---|---|---|
| Wavy, bent or kinked lines | Metamorphopsia | Fluid, swelling or a membrane pulling on the macula |
| Squares that look smaller or larger | Micropsia, macropsia | The same causes as wavy lines |
| A blurry or faded patch | Relative scotoma | Early damage or swelling in that area |
| A dark, gray or blank patch | Scotoma | An area of the macula that is not working |
| A missing corner or side | Visual field defect | A problem away from the center, which also needs an exam |
The table shows what a change can mean. Only an exam can tell what it does mean. Pictures of each are in the distortion examples.
What to do
New or changed: call your eye doctor right away, the same day if you can. The American Academy of Ophthalmology and the macular degeneration charities all give this advice. Wet macular degeneration can damage sight within days to weeks, and treatment works best early.
- Known and unchanged. If your doctor already knows about a distortion and it looks the same, keep testing on your usual schedule.
- Not sure. If you cannot tell whether something changed, treat it as changed and call.
- Normal. Test again on schedule and keep your appointments.
Things that are not abnormal
- The edges of the grid look less sharp than the center. Side vision is always less detailed.
- The whole grid is evenly blurry. Check your glasses and the distance.
- Lines shimmer or fade after you stare for a long time. Blink and look again.
- A floater drifts across the grid.
- Lines bend only when you look through the edge of progressive lenses.
Telling your doctor
Say which eye, what you saw, where on the grid, and when you first noticed it. A marked grid helps. The online test lets you download both eyes as one image, and saves past results so you can show what changed.