Question: My optometrist wants me to get a visual field test after completing my routine eye exam, but my husband does not need to. Why is this?
Answer: An extensive visual field test is generally not a part of a routine eye exam. It is performed if your optometrist deems it necessary. There are many eye conditions that may require further investigation. The visual field test was developed to quantify and qualify the amount of peripheral vision you have in either eye. It is important to consider that peripheral vision is a much larger area than central vision, therefore requiring this extended testing. Using an automated visual field instrument, one eye is tested at a time and the machine will map out if there are any areas of field loss. Blind spots, or scotomas, can be detected during this test, along with determining where they are.
Essentially, it is an additional way for your optometrist to measure your peripheral vision. In your case, your optometrist most likely felt it necessary to get this additional testing done as they may have detected something in your vision that is not in your husband’s.