Visual Field Testing

A visual field establishes how good your peripheral vision (PV) is. This is what you see above, below and to the sides when you are looking straight ahead. Generally your PV will not be as good as what is known as your central vision but it is important for driving and a good visual field is required to become a New Zealand police officer. There are many conditions that can affect your PV including high blood pressure, glaucoma, strokes, an overactive thyroid, and diabetes. In glaucoma, nerve cells in the retina are damaged and die so messages are unable to be transmitted to the brain. Remarkably up to 40% of these cells can be lost before a person becomes aware of reduced vision.