MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
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I had my twice-a-year glaucoma clinic appointment today. Does anyone else feel gaslit by visual field test machines? The bright dots are bright enough, but the marginal ones really aren't. They remind me of skiing in a white-out, but with all the tension and zero giggles.
PSA: if you start to see white or rainbow fringing around light sources go see an optician, and go every year or two even if you don't wear glasses. I have something called pigment dispersion syndrome which came on in my 30s, and had lost a small fraction of vision in one eye to glaucoma before it was picked up.
I believe the differing intensities are to check the eye's sensitivity. More irritating is thinking you have seen a light when really you know you haven't and wondering whether to press the button. I'm sure the algorithms know all about this stuff when running the tests.
Here’s the testing device used, for any who’ve not (yet) had the pleasure: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humphrey_visual_field_analyser
I believe some of the stimuli are deliberately too faint for you to see, and that the test apparatus will show you stimuli until you fail to identify them.
I think false positives result in a less conclusive test result; I’ve certainly had some of those in the past, so in a way getting a definitive result is a victory. I won’t know for a while whether I won today, but my eye pressures are fine and because it was a technician lab there was no numbing involved for the eye pressure test.
1. It's not a competition. 😁 The machine doesn't care if you 'win' by getting all the lights
2. Remember, its testing your field of vision so the machine sets random lights flashing based on the parameters that the tech puts in - what you should be able to see in relation to your known degeneration, and script. The lights outside that are to detect if you're just pressing the button randomly rather than in reaction to stimuli. There are light signals projected into your blind spot as well as out of range, those are to test to see if you're maintaining fixation properly. The only real issue with the Fields is patients eventually get to learn it, and the accuracy goes down a bit with time as pats can anticipate.
3. Don't overthink it, it's just a diagnostic tool. Speak with the consultant/ophthalmologist afterwards if you've got concerns.
I used to run community based glaucoma monitoring services in various CCG locations up and down the country .
nickc
1. It’s not a competition. 😁 The machine doesn’t care if you ‘win’ by getting all the lights
Oh yes it is! 😆
I quite enjoy doing it and am constantly amazed by how detailed (and quite consistent) the results seem to be. It is frustrating to "miss" a load of flashes and I can go seconds without clicking. Interested to know if it's random, random + learning or tailored to your condition?
I used to run community based glaucoma monitoring services
Wouldn’t expect anything less on STW!
I’ve got my 3rd test in 6 months next week!
Ill let you know if I pass!
Did one of these tests for my driving licence renewal a few weeks ago for the first time in about 12 years - I had laser treatment for diabetic retinopathy in both eyes several years ago - and was pleased to have only missed 2 of the flashes, both in the top right of my vision.
These machines fascinate me but I do think that the sou d of the servos can make predicting a bit easier.
I had one of these (amongst other tests) a few weeks ago - it seems I am a double sided flatfish..!
I can almost see my own ears 😂
I've just put in my glaucoma eye drops. After 2 years they're still not sure if I have it or have just normally high eye pressure.