The Field of Vision

CHICAGO, IL, October 31, 2012 (Press-News.org) In order to understand how your eyes work, you should take time to learn about the many different components that make up human vision. The term "field of vision" (also called "field of view") refers to the full range of vision that a person observes at any given moment. Human beings have close to an 180-degree horizontal field of view, granted by our forward-facing eyes. In contrast, many birds have a complete 360-degree field of vision. The vertical range of a human being's field of vision is usually around 100 degrees.

How the Eye's Field of Vision Affects Perception

Binocular vision - or vision that is created by two eyes working together - is important in order to have accurate depth perception. Binocular vision has several advantages over monocular vision (one-eyed vision):

- If one eye is damaged, you have a spare.
- It widens your field of view.
- You can more easily detect faint objects.
- It enhances depth perception by providing your brain with two slightly different images of the same scene.

The quality of your color vision varies across your field of vision. For humans, color vision is most vivid in the center of the visual field. However, your ability to perceive motion and shapes tends to be stronger in at the edges of the visual field (peripheral vision).

Field of Vision Problems

Different eye diseases and disorders can impact your field of vision, limiting its scope and/or degrading its quality. For example, if your optic nerve has been damaged by glaucoma, your field of vision typically diminishes over time, progressively leading to full blindness.

Other people experience strands, specks, and "floaters" that impair their field of vision. These spots are actually small shadows on your retina that are cast by tiny cells or bits of gel that float in your clear eye fluid. Specks and floaters are normally harmless, but on occasion, they can be harbingers of more serious conditions, such as diabetic retinopathy or retinal detachment. If you experience a sudden decline in your vision quality along with floaters and specks - or a sudden increase in the quantity of floaters - contact an experienced ophthalmologist as soon as possible.

Another condition that can affect your field of vision is hemianopia. This condition often occurs after a brain injury or stroke, and can lead to loss of half of your field of vision. You may only be able to discern one side of your field of vision when looking straight ahead, or the objects you see may vary in clarity and brightness depending on where they are in the field of vision.

If you have further questions about the eye's field of vision, please visit the website of experienced Chicago eye doctor Dr. Mark Golden at Doctors For Visual Freedom today at www.doctorsforvisualfreedom.com.