Question 1

why do we have peripheral vision?

Accepted Answer

Early warning: Central vision is for fine detail - reading, face recognition, etc.  Peripheral vision, of low acuity, is sensitive to motion and serves to provide early warning of threats from the sides and also provides orientation to the major features of the visual space.  With no peripheral vision (called tunnel vision) you cannot drive, or easily walk around, etc.

Question 2

causes of loss of peripheral vision?

Accepted Answer

Many many: Most common would be glaucoma and stroke.

Question 3

what is distorted peripheral vision?

Accepted Answer

Migraine??: The big issue is whether it is a transient or permanent problem. Regardless, a full exam with visual field testing should help you sort out the possible cause. Migraine is most common transient type. In elderly patients you also have to assess for insufficient ocular blood flow (amarosis).

Question 4

what is the opposite of peripheral vision?

Accepted Answer

Central vision: The opposite is the vision from the fovea and macular area which is the central, sharp vision that you use to read with and recognize small objects and faces.

Question 5

is peripheral vision supposed to be blurry?

Accepted Answer

Define "blurry": The peripheral retina has fewer receptor cells per unit of space than the main focal point of the eye. Just like your television, the more pixels per image the clearer. You will never see things as sharply with peripheral vision as with the focal point. That said, you could have an eye issue that distorts your peripheral vision. If it is only seen in one eye it is probably abnormal.

Question 6

what causes my peripheral vision to be "shaky"?

Accepted Answer

Possibly Migraine: This is a somewhat unusual symptom, but sounds like it could possibly be from ocular migraine. No headache or pain is required for that diagnosis. You should have a thorough exam by an ophthalmologist, probably including a visual field exam, to help determine the cause and to rule out certain neurological causes. Depending on the testing results, neuroimaging with a ct scan or MRI may be required.

Question 7

sudden loss of peripheral vision-- please help!?

Accepted Answer

Seek help: Vision may be lost peripherally from disasters within the eye such as retinal detachment or vascular occlusion;  or from strokes in the brain in the occipital lobe or the pituitary region;   or from systemic vascular collapse, drug toxicity or poisoning.  You need to immediately see an ophthalmologist for this as some of these are extremely urgent and can affect both eyes.

Question 8

what are some ways to have better peripheral vision?

Accepted Answer

See eye MD: If you feel your peripheral vision is not perfect, see an ophthalmologist for an evaluation.

Question 9

what do flashing lights in your peripheral vision mean?

Accepted Answer

Migraine: The most likely cause for this symptoms is occipital migraine which causes a greying out of the vision the the corresponding peripheral 1/2 of vision of each eye with surrounding flashing lights lasting up to 2 hours and leaving with no trace.  Persistent flashing in one eye only especially with lowered vision and floaters might be a retinal detachment and needs ophthalmological evaluation soon.

Question 10

what does it mean if you fail a peripheral vision test?

Accepted Answer

You can't: This test is not one you can pass or fail.  It is a measurement of what you can see in the peripheral vision.  It can be normal or abnormal.

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My peripheral vision is wavy

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Why do we have peripheral vision?

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Causes of loss of peripheral vision?

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What is distorted peripheral vision?

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What is the opposite of peripheral vision?

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Is peripheral vision supposed to be blurry?

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What causes my peripheral vision to be "shaky"?

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Sudden loss of peripheral vision-- please help!?

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What are some ways to have better peripheral vision?

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What do flashing lights in your peripheral vision mean?

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What does it mean if you fail a peripheral vision test?

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