Human peripheral vision provides a wider view of the surrounding world. The ability to distinguish objects located outside the field of direct vision in moments of danger can save a person’s life.
How can a person develop peripheral vision?
When perceiving the world around us, a person uses two types of vision: direct and peripheral (lateral). The normal boundaries of lateral vision are 120°, but in women, due to age-old selection, visibility sometimes expands to 180°. The development of peripheral vision can be achieved with the help of special training and exercises.
With the help of the eyes, a person navigates in space, evaluating 90% of incoming information. Complete or partial loss of vision changes people’s standard of living, increasing the risk of injury at home or at work.
How to Determine the Side View Standard
When fixing the gaze on a certain point, the norm is considered to be the difference between objects, their color, shape, purpose in the sides, counting from the center of the eye:
- outside, the normal viewing angle is 90°;
- outside with an upward slope – 70°;
- outside with a downward slope – 90°;
- down normal person can view objects at an angle of 65°.
WITH inside the gaze is limited to the bridge of the nose, therefore peripheral vision determined by parameters that are 55°, 55°, 50°, respectively.
How to check the size of the field of lateral vision yourself
Peripheral vision is designed to distinguish changes in the position of objects and their movement. At the same time, in comparison with the central perception, objects are not seen clearly enough; the further they are located, the worse their color and shape are distinguished.
The simplest peripheral vision test:
- take some bright object in both hands;
- focus your gaze straight ahead;
- spread your arms horizontally to the sides;
- if objects are visible in both hands, then the peripheral view is normal; a narrowing of the visible area by 30° is allowed (15° on each side).
If the review is much less, you should consult a doctor. A violation may indicate a disease of the retina, a lack of vitamins in the diet, damaged tissue of the optic nerve, or a malfunction of the central nervous system.
Why is peripheral vision impaired?
The consequence of various eye diseases and brain injury is a significant narrowing of peripheral vision, characterized by a local or concentric decrease in visible areas, the appearance of “blind spots” in which there is no visibility at all. Also in the retina there are physiological angioscotomas formed along large vessels that prevent the reflection of light.
With significant pathologies, a person experiences a complete loss of peripheral vision, leaving only tube perception, in which it is possible to read, but it is difficult to navigate in space.
Characteristics of types of visual impairment:
- Organic disorders arise as a result of structural changes in the tissues of the eye, accompanied by a limitation of its function (cataracts, tumor lesions, conjunctivitis, optic nerve atrophy, blepharitis).
- Functional changes are characterized by a change in the flow of light rays that form the image of objects on the retina (farsightedness, myopia, strabismus, astigmatism, amblyopia).
- If the clarity of perception of surrounding objects is lost, a significant narrowing of peripheral vision occurs, and the ability to see in the dark worsens.
How women and men see objects on the periphery
Lateral vision in men and women differs significantly for a genetic reason: hereditary information that transforms the work of peripheral retinal cells (cones) is deposited on the X chromosome, of which there are two in the female body and one in the male. Therefore, representatives of both have the same picture genders are seen differently:
- a woman notes small details that characterize the object itself and what is located around it, pays attention and remembers the color scheme of surrounding objects;
- a man pays attention only to the central figure, without focusing on details;
- The stronger sex distinguishes objects better in the dark, but their eyes get tired faster;
- the female gender drives a car much more carefully daytime, thanks to more developed peripheral vision, noticing almost everything that happens around;
- When working at a computer, women's eyes get less tired.
Peripheral vision in both sexes sharply decreases by the age of 65. Age-related characteristics also affect the ability to have lateral vision, narrowing the view quite significantly.
Side view training
The peripheral visual field affects the functioning of the brain, stimulating its functionality. The size of the field can change upward if you regularly train your abilities. 
How to develop peripheral vision with gymnastics:
- Focus your gaze on a specific place on the opposite wall, the distance to which is at least 3 meters. Around the selected object you should hang colored pictures at different distances from the central object. Try to clearly see what is drawn in the pictures, without ceasing to focus on the initially chosen object.
- Take colored pencils in both hands and move them in different spatial directions, trying to see objects at the same time.
- While driving in public transport you should choose a viewpoint in the distance. Without taking your central gaze away, it is recommended to examine surrounding objects that are in motion using lateral vision. Gradually their number needs to be increased.
- Find a vertical article in a newspaper or magazine. Divide it approximately in half with a bright line. Try to read the article diagonally, without looking at individual lines.
- Make a face mask covering the central part. Do household chores, putting on and taking off the mask every 20 minutes for 1 hour.
- When walking, look ahead, while noticing the imperfections in the road under your feet.
It is recommended to increase the load time during exercises for the development of peripheral vision gradually, starting from 15 minutes. If your eyes get tired, you should take short breaks. You can blink to relieve excess tension.
Our vision makes our life richer, more informative, more active. Therefore, it is so important for a person to promptly solve all problems that arise with the eyes, because even the slightest chance of stopping seeing this beautiful world scary.
The eyes are a window to the world, they are a reflection of the state of our soul, they are a repository of riddles and secrets.
In this article we will pay special attention to central and peripheral vision.
What are their differences? How is their quality determined? What are the differences between peripheral and central vision in humans and animals, and how do animals see in general? And how to improve peripheral vision...
This and much, much more will be discussed in this article.
Central and peripheral vision. Interesting information.
First about central vision.
This is the most important element of human visual function.
It received this name because... provided by the central portion of the retina and the central fovea. Gives a person the opportunity to distinguish shapes and small details of objects, therefore its second name is shaped vision.
Even if it decreases slightly, a person will immediately feel it.
The main characteristic of central vision is visual acuity.
Her research has great value in assessing the entire human visual system, to track various pathological processes in the visual organs.
Visual acuity refers to the ability of the human eye to distinguish between two points in space located close to each other, at a certain distance from the person.
Let us also pay attention to such a concept as the visual angle, which is the angle formed between the two extreme points of the object in question and the nodal point of the eye.
It turns out that the larger the visual angle, the lower its acuity.
Now about peripheral vision.
It provides a person’s orientation in space and makes it possible to see in darkness and semi-darkness.
How to understand what is central and what is peripheral vision?
Turn your head to the right, catch an object with your eyes, for example, a picture on the wall, and fix your gaze on any individual element of it. You see him well, clearly, don’t you?
This is thanks to central vision. But besides this object, which you see so well, a large number of different things also come into your field of vision. This is, for example, a door to another room, a closet that stands next to the painting you have chosen, a dog sitting on the floor a little further away. You see all these objects unclearly, but, nevertheless, you see, you have the ability to capture their movement and react to it.
This is peripheral vision.
Both human eyes, without moving, are capable of covering 180 degrees along the horizontal meridian and a little less - about 130 degrees along the vertical.
As we have already noticed, the acuity of peripheral vision is less than central. This is explained by the fact that the number of cones, from the center to the peripheral parts of the retina, decreases significantly.
Peripheral vision is characterized by the so-called visual field.
This is the space that is perceived by a fixed gaze.
Peripheral vision is invaluable to humans.
It is thanks to it that free, habitual movement in the space surrounding a person and orientation in the environment around us is possible.
If peripheral vision is lost for some reason, then even with full preservation of central vision, the individual cannot move independently, he will bump into every object on his way, and the ability to see large objects with his gaze will be lost.
What kind of vision is considered good?
Now consider the following questions: how the quality of central and peripheral vision is measured, as well as what indicators are considered normal.
First about central vision.
We are accustomed to the fact that if a person sees well, they say about him “one in both eyes.”
What does it mean? That each eye individually can distinguish two closely spaced points in space, which give an image on the retina at an angle of one minute. So it turns out to be one for both eyes.
By the way, this is only the lower norm. There are people who have vision of 1,2, 2 or more.
We most often use the Golovin-Sivtsev table to determine visual acuity, the same one with the well-known letters Ш B in the upper part. A person sits in front of the table at a distance of 5 meters and closes alternately his right and left eyes. The doctor points to the letters in the table, and the patient says them out loud.
The vision of a person who can see the tenth line with one eye is considered normal.
Peripheral vision.
It is characterized by a field of view. Its change is an early, and sometimes the only sign of some eye ailments.
The dynamics of changes in the visual field makes it possible to assess the course of the disease, as well as the effectiveness of its treatment. In addition, through the study of this parameter, atypical processes in the brain are revealed.
Studying the visual field is determining its boundaries, identifying defects in visual function within them.
To achieve these goals, various methods are used.
The simplest of them is the control one.
Allows you to quickly, literally in a few minutes, without using any instruments, determine a person’s field of vision.
The essence of this method is to compare the physician’s peripheral vision (which should be normal) with the patient’s peripheral vision.
It looks like this. The doctor and the patient sit opposite each other at a distance of one meter, each of them closes one eye (opposite eyes close), and the open eyes act as a point of fixation. Then the doctor begins to slowly move his hand, which is located on the side, out of the field of view, and gradually bring it closer to the center of the field of view. The patient must indicate the moment when he sees her. The study is repeated from all sides.
Using this method, a person's peripheral vision is only roughly assessed.
There are more complex methods, which provide in-depth results, such as campimetry and perimetry. 
The boundaries of the visual field may vary from person to person and depend, among other things, on the level of intelligence and the structural features of the patient’s face.
Normal indicators for white the following: up – 50o, outwards – 90o, up outwards – 70o, up inwards – 60o, downwards outwards – 90o, downwards – 60o, downwards inwards – 50o, inwards – 50o.
Color perception in central and peripheral vision.
It has been experimentally established that human eyes can distinguish up to 150,000 shades and color tones.
This ability has an impact on various aspects of a person’s life.
Color vision enriches the picture of the world and gives the individual more useful information, affects his psychophysical state.
Colors are actively used everywhere - in painting, industry, scientific research...
The so-called cones, light-sensitive cells that are found in the human eye, are responsible for color vision. But the rods are responsible for night vision. There are three types of cones in the retina, each of which is most sensitive to the blue, green and red parts of the spectrum.
Of course, the picture we get thanks to central vision is better saturated with colors compared to the result of peripheral vision. Peripheral vision is better at picking up brighter colors, such as red or black.
Women and men, it turns out, see differently!
Interestingly, women and men see things somewhat differently.
Due to certain differences in the structure of the eyes, representatives of the fair sex are able to distinguish more colors and shades than the majority of humanity.
In addition, scientists have proven that men have better developed central vision, while women have better peripheral vision.
This is explained by the nature of the activities of people of different sexes in ancient times.
Men went hunting, where it was important to clearly concentrate on one object and not see anything else. And the women looked after the housing and had to quickly notice the slightest changes, disturbances in the usual flow of everyday life (for example, quickly notice a snake crawling into a cave).
There is statistical evidence to support this statement. For example, in 1997, in the UK, 4,132 children were injured in road accidents, of which 60% were boys and 40% were girls.
In addition, insurance companies note that women are much less likely than men to be involved in car accidents involving side impacts at intersections. But parallel parking is more difficult for beautiful ladies.
Women also see better in the dark and notice more small details in a wide field compared to men.
At the same time, the eyes of the latter are well adapted to tracking an object on long distance.
If we take into account other physiological characteristics of women and men, the following advice will be formed - during a long trip it is best to alternate as follows - give the woman the day, and the man the night.
And a few more interesting facts.
Beautiful ladies' eyes get tired more slowly than men's.
In addition, women's eyes are better suited for observing objects at close range, so they can, for example, thread a needle much faster and more dexterously than men.
People, animals and their vision.
Since childhood, people have been fascinated by the question: how do animals, our beloved cats and dogs, soaring birds, creatures swimming in the sea, see?
Scientists have been studying the structure of the eyes of birds, animals and fish for a long time so that we can finally find out the answers that interest us.
Let's start with our favorite pets - dogs and cats.
The way they see the world is significantly different from the way a person sees the world. This happens for several reasons.
First.
Visual acuity in these animals is significantly lower than in humans. A dog, for example, has vision of approximately 0.3, and cats generally have 0.1. At the same time, these animals have an incredibly wide field of vision, much wider than that of humans.
The conclusion can be drawn as follows: the eyes of animals are maximally adapted for panoramic vision.
This is due to both the structure of the retina and the anatomical location of the organs.
Second.
Animals are much better than man see in the dark.
It is also interesting that dogs and cats see even better at night than during the day. All thanks to the special structure of the retina and the presence of a special reflective layer.
Third.
Our pets, unlike humans, distinguish moving objects better than static objects.
At the same time, animals have unique ability determine the distance at which an object is located.
Quadruple.
There are differences in the perception of colors. And this despite the fact that the structure of the cornea and lens in animals and humans is practically no different.
Humans can distinguish many more colors than dogs and cats.
And this is due to the structural features of the eyes. For example, a dog’s eyes have fewer “cones” responsible for color perception than a human’s. Therefore, they distinguish less colors.
Previously, there was a general theory that the vision of animals, cats and dogs, is black and white.
This is if we talk about differences human vision pets.
Now about other animals and birds.
Monkeys, for example, see three times better than humans.
Eagles, vultures, and falcons have extraordinary visual acuity. The latter can clearly see a target up to 10 cm in size at a distance of about 1.5 km. And the vulture is able to distinguish small rodents that are located 5 km away from it.
The record holder in panoramic vision is the woodcock. It's almost circular!
But the pigeon we are all familiar with has a viewing angle of approximately 340 degrees.
Deep-sea fish see well in complete darkness, seahorses and chameleons in general can simultaneously look at different directions, and all because their eyes move independently of each other.
Here are some interesting facts.
How does our vision change throughout life?
How does our vision, both central and peripheral, change during life? What kind of vision are we born with, and what kind of vision do we come to old age with? Let's pay attention to these issues.
IN different periods People have different visual acuities throughout their lives.
A person is born into the world, and his blood pressure will be low. At the age of four months, the child’s visual acuity is approximately 0.06, by the year it grows to 0.1-0.3, and only by the age of five (in some cases it takes up to 15 years) vision becomes normal.
Over time, the situation changes. This is due to the fact that the eyes, like any other organs, undergo certain age-related changes; their activity gradually decreases.
This means that the older a person gets, the more light he needs for reading and other activities. In addition, in old age, changes in lighting brightness are very painful. The world around an elderly person seems to fade and become dull.
It is believed that deterioration of visual acuity is an inevitable or almost inevitable phenomenon in old age.
Let us highlight the following points.
*
With age, the size of the pupils decreases due to weakening of the muscles that are responsible for their regulation. As a result, the reaction of the pupils to the light flux worsens.
*
Also, with age, the eyes recognize colors worse, the contrast and brightness of the image decreases. This is a consequence of a decrease in the number of retinal cells that are responsible for the perception of colors, shades, contrast and brightness.
What happens to peripheral vision?
It also gets worse with age - lateral vision worsens, visual fields narrow.
This is very important to know and take into account, especially for people who continue to lead an active lifestyle, drive a car, etc.
A significant deterioration in peripheral vision occurs after 65 years.
The following conclusion can be drawn.
A decrease in central and peripheral vision with age is normal, because the eyes, like any other organ of the human body, are susceptible to aging.
I can't be with poor eyesight...
Many of us have known since childhood what we want to be in adulthood.
Some dreamed of becoming a pilot, some a car mechanic, some a photographer.
Everyone would like to do exactly what they like in life – no more, no less. And what a surprise and disappointment it can be when, upon receiving a medical certificate for admission to a particular educational institution, it turns out that the long-awaited profession will not become yours, and all because of poor eyesight.
Some people don’t even think that it can become a real obstacle to the implementation of plans for the future.
So, let's figure out which professions require good vision.
It turns out there are not so few of them.
For example, visual acuity is necessary for jewelers, watchmakers, people involved in precision small instrument making in the electrical and radio engineering industries, in optical-mechanical production, as well as those who have a typographic profession (this could be a typesetter, proofreader, etc.).
Undoubtedly, the vision of a photographer, seamstress, or shoemaker must be sharp.
In all of the above cases, the quality of central vision is more important, but there are professions where peripheral vision also plays a role.
For example, a pilot aircraft. No one will argue that his peripheral vision should be as good as his central vision.
The profession of a driver is similar. Well-developed peripheral vision will allow you to avoid many dangerous and unpleasant situations, including emergency situations on the road.
In addition, auto mechanics must have excellent vision (both central and peripheral). This is one of the important requirements for candidates when hiring for this position.
Don't forget about the athletes either. For example, football players, hockey players, and handball players have peripheral vision that approaches ideal.
There are also professions where it is very important to correctly distinguish colors (preservation of color vision).
These are, for example, designers, seamstresses, shoemakers, and workers in the radio engineering industry.
We train peripheral vision. A couple of exercises.
You've probably heard about speed reading courses.
The organizers commit to a couple of months in advance and not so much in advance. a large amount money to teach you to swallow books one by one, and perfectly remembering their contents. So, the lion's share of time in the courses is devoted to the development of peripheral vision. Subsequently, a person will not need to move his eyes along the lines of a book; he will immediately be able to see the entire page.
Therefore, if you set yourself a task in short terms develop your peripheral vision perfectly, you can enroll in speed reading courses, and in the near future you will notice significant changes and improvements.
But not everyone wants to spend time on such events.
For those who want to improve their peripheral vision at home, in a calm environment, here are a few exercises.
Exercise No. 1.
Stand near the window and fix your gaze on some object on the street. This could be a satellite dish on a neighboring house, someone's balcony, or a slide on the playground.
Recorded? Now, without moving your eyes and head, name the objects that are near your chosen object.
Exercise No. 2.
Open the book you are currently reading.
Choose a word on one of the pages and fix your gaze on it. Now, without moving your pupils, try to read the words around the one on which you fixed your gaze.
Exercise No. 3.
For this you will need a newspaper.
In it you need to find the narrowest column, and then take a red pen and draw a straight thin line in the center of the column, from top to bottom. Now, glancing only along the red line, without turning your pupils to the right and left, try to read the contents of the column.
Don't worry if you can't do it the first time.
When you are successful with a narrow column, choose a wider one, etc.
Soon you will be able to look at entire pages of books and magazines.
Lateral vision, also called peripheral vision, helps a person navigate in space. If you are good at recognizing objects that are away from your direct gaze, it means functional activity peripheral vision is not impaired. The peripheral part of the retina is responsible for lateral vision.
The main thing, of course, is central vision. It is with its help that we can clearly see the shape, color and brightness of objects, and also navigate in the dark. Lateral vision acuity is slightly lower compared to central vision. At the same time, developed peripheral vision is extremely important for drivers, military personnel and athletes.
Impaired lateral vision can be caused by glaucoma, increased intracranial pressure, or damage to the retina or optic nerve. As you can see, a violation may indicate serious pathological processes in the visual apparatus. This is why it is so important to visit an ophthalmologist in a timely manner.
The peripheral abilities of the retina can be examined using the perimeter. It is important to understand that if lateral vision is lost, even with good central vision acuity, a person simply will not be able to move independently.
Peripheral vision recognizes dynamic objects well, as well as white or contrasting colors. The wider the angle of view, the more people will be able to read. With the help of special exercises you can develop and train your visual abilities.
Lateral vision is better developed in women than in men
Peripheral vision in men and women
Scientists say that men have better developed central vision, while women have better lateral vision. This is explained by the fact that a woman has always been the keeper of home comfort and hearth, so she needed to see everything around her. A broad outlook was also necessary in order to promptly detect the danger threatening her and the children.
According to statistics, a large number of car accidents occur because the driver does not notice the danger that is located on the side of the car.
Lateral vision in men is also called tunnel vision by experts. Thanks to high levels of central vision acuity, a man is able to clearly and clearly see objects in front of him. And this even applies to those objects that are located at a distance. In fact, the eyes of the stronger sex are more like a spyglass or binoculars.
Men's vision is adapted for looking into the distance. Because of this, eye fatigue is much higher in men. In order to see an object up close, such as looking in the rearview mirror while driving a car, vision must constantly refocus.
The ability to see in the dark is another difference between women's and men's vision. A woman sees finer details better up close. Along with this, it is difficult for her to understand on which side oncoming vehicles are moving.
Impaired lateral vision
Retinal injuries, as well as brain diseases, can lead to disturbances in peripheral vision. This may affect one or both eyes.
If peripheral vision is lost, a person will see objects as if in a tunnel
Why can the field of vision narrow? Let's consider the true reasons for this condition:
- increased intraocular pressure. As glaucoma progresses, the optic nerves are damaged and the field of vision narrows. Objects in front of a person's eyes may also blur. On initial stages the narrowing is insignificant. In the absence of timely treatment, it will simply be impossible to restore peripheral function;
- retinal damage can occur against the background of intense physical activity, changes in blood pressure, stressful situations;
- cerebral circulatory disorders;
- traumatic brain injuries;
- neoplasms;
- strokes;
- dystrophic changes in the retina;
- age-related changes.
With migraine, patients may complain that everything is swimming before their eyes, and then their head begins to hurt. It is also worth noting hallucinations in the lateral visual field. A person can see fleeting visions most often only from one side. For example, it may seem to him that a mouse ran by or someone passed. Such hallucinations indicate the presence of a mental disorder.
There are several types of lateral vision impairment:
- The space covering the organ of vision decreases. As a result, only a small portion of rectilinear visual space may appear;
- The structure of the eye changes so much that ineffective areas of the retina appear. As a result, patients see dark spots indicating loss of certain areas of the visual field;
- partial loss of visual fields.
Glaucoma can lead to complete loss of vision
Impaired visual function manifests itself in the form of decreased visual acuity and limited visual field. Repainting the pupil in a greenish or azure tint is the main external sign of the pathological process.
Frequent stress, prolonged use of steroid drugs, eye injury, and developmental abnormalities can lead to increased intraocular pressure. Glaucoma is characterized by the appearance of rainbow circles in bright light, blurred vision in the dark, headache, pain in the eyes, redness, and a feeling of heaviness.
Scotoma
Scotoma is loss of visual fields. Cataracts, stress, glaucoma, dystrophic changes in the eye - all this and much more can lead to disorders. Dark spots can be in the form of circles, ovals, arcs, wedges.
Smears in front of the eyes impair both central and peripheral vision. Some patients complain of periodic blurred vision.
Ocular migraine
Visual defects are temporary. Neurological diseases most often provoke the disorder. According to statistics, ocular migraine with aura appears in pregnant women and young and middle-aged people. Defects can appear as a result of lack of sleep, changes in weather conditions, mental overstrain, emotional outbursts or intense physical activity.
Ocular migraine causes visual defects
The emerging spot goes in the direction of peripheral vision. The formation can be colorless, and sometimes it can be very bright. The aura can manifest itself in the form of visual hallucinations. During an attack, the patient is advised to calm down, lie down and drink hot tea or coffee. A neurologist treats ocular migraines.
Diagnostic examination
You can test your peripheral vision yourself at home. To do this, focus your gaze on an object that is located directly from you. Next, without moving your gaze, try to look at objects on the right and left sides. You can also pick up white pencils and then spread your hands. With normal peripheral vision, a person must simultaneously perceive both objects.
In the ophthalmology office, peripheral vision indicators are examined using a special device. The patient places the chin on a special stand, while one eye is covered with a bandage. Open eye should focus on the white mark that is moving. The perimeter defines the space within which, with the eye position fixed, you can see every point of it.
Using the automatic perimeter, you can determine not only the width of the field of view, but also the existing defects and the sensitivity threshold of the retina. The device is able to report defects in the retina and optic nerve in the early stages of development.
The perimeter will help identify problems with peripheral vision
How to develop peripheral vision?
Developmental exercises help achieve the following goals:
- improvement of brain activity;
- a person begins to better navigate in space;
- Speed reading develops.
Let's consider effective exercises that will help develop lateral vision indicators:
- Fix your gaze on the object and try to simultaneously recognize objects located on both sides.
- Concentrate your gaze on an object located three meters away from you. Take a pencil in your hands and spread your hands. In this case, you should see not only the main object, but also the pencils.
- Take the pencils again and spread your hands. Raise your right hand up and watch the pencil in this hand with your right eye. At the same time, lower the left pencil and watch it with your left eye. Next, the pencils are brought to the center. Then move the objects diagonally and return to the starting position.
- Draw letters or numbers in bright colors on sheets of paper large sizes. Observe the drawings while constantly increasing your viewing angle. As peripheral vision develops, smaller pictures can be used.
- Concentrate on the subject, while paying attention to the subject located in the periphery. There should be more and more of these items.
So, peripheral vision is no less important than central vision. The ability to see peripheral objects allows you to navigate well in space. Impaired lateral vision may indicate the presence of serious pathologies, including: glaucoma, scotoma, retinal detachment, disruption of brain function, neoplasms, and others. In order not to miss dangerous diseases, it is important to contact an ophthalmologist in a timely manner and follow his recommendations.
When a person looks straight ahead, he still catches what is happening to the side. This is colloquially known as "catch it out of the corner of your eye." The scientific name is peripheral vision. It is present in all vertebrates without exception, and is important aspect vision. It is also called “side”.
In the literature you can often find the concept of “peripheral vision”. Disputes arise: what kind of vision do we have, peripheral or peripheral? That's right, both ways. These are different names for the same phenomenon.
Peripheral vision perceives white light best, and then, in descending order, all the colors of the spectrum, starting from red. it also weakly perceives the shape of objects, but is sensitive to movement and flickering of objects. And the faster this flickering, the better the eye will perceive it.
There is also central vision - all objects fall into it when we look directly ahead. This means that most of what we see falls into the “zone of responsibility” of the peripheral. And how much we see depends on our field of vision. So when checked by an ophthalmologist, a peripheral vision test will definitely be carried out.
Field of view
When we look forward in a relaxed state, in addition to the objects located there, we also notice what is on the sides. Everything that thus captures the eye is the visual field. The higher a person’s visual acuity, the further he sees, but lateral vision practically does not depend on this.
By “field of view” we mean not only what a person sees horizontally, but also vertically.
Examination of the state of this vision is very important in diagnosing diseases of the retina, optic nerves and visual acuity. In case of retinal diseases, the doctor examines the patient’s field of vision dynamically over a long period of time. And it is the state of peripheral vision that can indicate the characteristics of the pathological process in the eye and help select effective treatment.
To a certain extent, the field of vision is narrowed due to the protruding parts of the face - nose, cheekbones, eyebrows. If a person wears glasses, then their frame may somewhat limit the view.
Visual field testing is the main way to diagnose peripheral vision. And the simplest of all is the control method. It does not require any instruments; the doctor, with a healthy and complete field of view, compares that of the subject with his own.
For a more accurate determination, computer diagnostics are performed - the patient looks into the eyepieces, the doctor demonstrates various objects that appear on the sides and approach the middle of the view. As soon as the patient notices them, he presses the button, and the computer records it.
Peripheral vision examination is carried out on each eye separately.
Why do we need peripheral vision?
All vertebrates and birds have this type of vision. Only at different types living organisms it covers a different radius. For a person with healthy vision, this angle is 120 degrees in each eye. vertically and horizontally. In some eye diseases, this angle narrows. Peripheral vision can also deteriorate in the event of injury to the eye itself - a concussion, burn, bruise, or overstrain of the eye itself.
Narrowing of peripheral vision can also be a consequence of brain diseases.
Structure of the retina: rods and cones
The human eye is a complex optical instrument. It perceives, analyzes and transmits information to the retina, giving an idea of color, distance, etc. At different times of the day, different areas of the retina and its different receptors are responsible for all this. These receptors transform light stimulation into nervous stimulation. In other words, light is converted into electrical impulses, and the optic nerve transmits them to the brain. Due to the similarity of shape, they were called
- rods - those that are responsible for perception in the dark
- cones - responsible for visual acuity and
And it is the rods that are most involved in the work of peripheral vision.
In the eye of a healthy person there are about 120 million rods, and only 7 million cones.
Rods are very photosensitive, they only need 1 photon of light to react, but they cannot distinguish the color of an object. Since there are disproportionately more rods, they are located mainly “on the periphery” of the retina, while cones are located mainly in its center. Thanks to the large number of rods on the periphery of the eye, a person notices the objects surrounding him in the dark.
Peripheral vision works well in the dark, when color perception is not relevant, so it is black and white. The fact that we perceive colors with peripheral vision during daylight hours is due to the work of the cones.
Functions
We need it to better navigate space. It is carried out mostly by the rod apparatus, so it is also. Thanks to it, we can move in the dark, distinguish objects even in almost complete darkness, because the rods react to the smallest light emissions.
In herbivorous mammals, the eyes are always located on the sides, and their viewing angle is almost a full circle. But their central vision is not very good, its acuity is quite low.
Development of peripheral vision
The eyes of a human embryo begin to develop in the first month after conception; it is such a complex organ and it takes so much time to form. At the same time, the retina, rods and cones are formed.
In a newborn baby, it is very poorly developed; the baby practically does not use it. At this time it is limited only to reacting to light. The child may turn his head towards the source, but not yet follow with his eyes.
As the child ages, visual function increases; by the age of three, the child no longer needs to turn his head to the image that interests him, and by the age of 6, peripheral vision is almost completely formed. Now it is only developing and strengthening - until puberty. The point of view of a teenager is no longer different from that of an adult.
However, already formed peripheral vision can be improved and strengthened. This is facilitated by special exercises for developing breadth of vision.
In order not to confuse which retinal receptors are responsible for what, you can remember - during the day scientists work with cones, at night, in order not to fall, they use a rod.
Why develop
Lateral vision arose in humans back in prehistoric times, when danger lurked at every step and it was necessary to identify it in time.
Peripheral vision is physiologically weaker than central vision; it tends to narrow with age. But it can be developed with the help of several fairly simple exercises.
It would be quite reasonable to ask the question: why develop it?
The fact of the matter is that it is necessary; in many cases, well-developed peripheral vision can save lives.
- Situations on the road. The most common situation in the city is when a person crosses the road and a car appears around a bend at high speed. With peripheral vision, a person notices it and manages to react and stop. It’s the same with drivers - you need to change lanes into the next lane, but another car appears, which it’s better to let through. With their peripheral vision they managed to catch it and assess the situation. And just walking along the road to see other road users.
- In sports. In group sports, this vision helps to notice what is happening nearby, interact better with the team, and see the opponent. During martial arts matches, athletes also detect any movements of the opponent.
- Speed reading. The main principle of speed reading is the ability to “capture” large volumes of text while expanding the angle of view. In this way, the skill of “diagonal reading” is trained.
And in many more life situations it is impossible to do without peripheral vision.
Peripheral vision impairment
Peripheral vision impairments are quite often temporary; for example, the field of vision is narrowed during severe alcohol intoxication. It is restored when the person returns to normal.
With severe blood loss, injuries, shock, stress, nitrogen poisoning - all this leads to short-term impairment of peripheral vision.
There is organic damage to the retina, when the problem is practically insoluble, and the course of the disease can only be slowed down, it cannot be cured, for example, as with glaucoma.
- There is a lack of peripheral vision when there is only central vision. In this case, a person sees all objects as if through a pipe. This kind of violation is called. If this condition is caused by glaucoma or retinal degeneration, treatment may be prescribed. The same condition often occurs in people in extreme situations, when there is overload of the optic nerve - in astronauts, military pilots, divers, climbers at high altitudes, and in other cases of oxygen starvation. But in this case, tunnel vision does not last long and the eyes quickly return to normal without treatment. They just need to give it a rest.
- The opposite also happens - peripheral vision is present, but central vision is not. This condition is called central scotoma. There are several types of them, often scotoma is caused by depression of the cerebral cortex. Then a person in the central part of the eye sees a flicker, while in the periphery the image is clear.
In both cases, vision functions are impaired.
Ischemic optic neuropathy
This is damage to the optic nerve that occurs when there is a sudden deterioration in its blood supply. Then the field of vision and visual acuity suddenly and sharply narrow, and peripheral vision suffers. Mostly men over 40 years of age are susceptible to it, and it is not an independent eye disease - it is concomitant with other systemic diseases. This is a very serious condition that, if left untreated, most often leads to complete irreversible blindness.
Most often, the attack occurs in only one eye, but a third of patients also have bilateral disorders. Usually the second eye is attacked after a few days, but it happens that it takes from two to five years. The attack develops suddenly and rapidly - after sleep, physical stress, sauna, hot bath, stress. Immediately, vision deterioration occurs, down to tenths. There may be a complete loss of light perception, total blindness. Moreover, the disease can develop within a few minutes, so when visiting a doctor, the patient will indicate the time of the onset of the attack with an accuracy of a few minutes.
So-called warning symptoms often occur - short-term blurred vision, pain behind the eye, severe headaches. If such signs occur, you should not delay consulting a doctor.
At the first symptoms, treatment for peripheral neuropathy is immediately started - decongestants, anticoagulants, vitamins are immediately prescribed, thrombolytic, antispasmodic therapy, magnetic therapy, electrical and laser stimulation of the optic nerve are carried out.
The prognosis is most often unfavorable, as rapid atrophy of the optic nerve occurs. In rare cases, it is possible to increase vision by 0.1 unit.
To prevent this disease, general vascular therapy and treatment of other systemic diseases of the body are carried out. Patients who have had this disease in one eye are registered with an ophthalmologist, they are on lifelong dispensary registration, and they are prescribed appropriate preventive therapy.
Exercises to develop peripheral vision
The good thing about these exercises is that many of them can be performed without attracting anyone's attention, even while walking down the street or sitting in public transport. For others, you will need a quiet environment, a little more space. But in any case, their implementation will not require you to large quantity time, and you can learn how to do them correctly in one day. What these exercises have in common is that they must be performed without tension, in a relaxed state.
- Focus on one point in front of you. Try not to move your pupils. At the same time, record everything that you see around you, outside the field of direct vision - on the sides, above, below. First, do this exercise sitting and at home; after some time, you can practice it in nature. It doesn’t matter if some objects move, for example, an airplane.
- Pick up pencils. Look straight ahead. Move your arms forward, begin to spread them to the sides until you can no longer see them. At first it will be a very short distance, then the angle of view will increase significantly. In the future, move your hands with pencils in different planes, it is only important not to move your pupils.
- Draw a square with numbers from 1 to 9 on a piece of A3 paper, and put a large dot in the center. Read the numbers by looking only at the dot. In the future, the numbers can be made smaller and their number increased.
Lateral vision (also called peripheral vision) is the ability to perceive objects located away from direct vision. Objects perceived by peripheral vision cast light onto the periphery of the retina, so a person is able to determine their most pronounced properties, although he does not see them clearly.
Why do you need to train your peripheral vision? Firstly, it increases the overall performance of the brain, secondly, it helps to better navigate in space, and thirdly, it contributes to the formation of speed reading skills. In addition, good peripheral vision is necessary for drivers, athletes, workers security forces, military, etc. Even if nature has not given you the ability to clearly distinguish objects outside the field of direct vision, a set of special exercises will help correct the situation.
- Fix your gaze on a certain point located at the level of your eyes. Now try to distinguish objects located on either side of it.
- Take a pencil in your hands and select an object on the wall that is 3 m from your eyes. Fix your gaze on the central object, place the pencils on the sides of it. Next, gradually move the pencils to the sides, while their image will bifurcate. Continue the exercise, moving the pencils randomly and continuing to focus.
- Take the pencils in your hands, focusing your gaze on them, slowly move them apart as far as you can. Next, lift your right pencil up and watch it with your right eye. And lower the left one down, observing it with the peripheral vision of your left eye. Then bring the pencils back to the center. After this, the pencil in right hand, move diagonally up and to the left, and the pencil of your left hand down and to the right, watch them with your peripheral vision. Then just as slowly bring the pencils back to the center.
- Print or draw different colors large numbers or letters on sheets of paper. Sit on a chair and place the sheets near you, lift them one by one so that they are located in the field of lateral vision, try to discern what is drawn on them. Gradually increase your viewing angle. After you learn to distinguish different colored numbers or letters, make smaller cards and do this exercise until you learn to distinguish small enough fonts.
- The next exercise is best done outside the home, for example, on public transport. Fix an object located at eye level in the central field of vision. Next, continuing to keep it in your field of vision, select another point and fix it with your peripheral vision. Next - another one, etc. Develop your skill until you can simultaneously concentrate on 6-8 objects, some of which can move.
- Place two pencils at eye level at a distance of 30 cm. Draw imaginary circles in the air, first in one direction, then in the other direction. The gaze should be unfocused into the distance.
- Standing on your feet, your gaze is straight, unfocused. Try to catch objects located to the right and left of you with your peripheral vision, move your peripheral gaze (without moving your pupils) from side to side.
- Find a narrow column in the newspaper and draw a bright line down the center from top to bottom. Try to read the text diagonally without moving your pupils.
- Sit in a chair or on a sofa, place your palm over your nose so as to close the central viewing area. For greater effectiveness, exercises can be done special mask from improvised means. The time required for this exercise is 1 hour. Spend the first 20 minutes wearing a mask, the second without it, and the last 20 minutes wearing a mask again, while doing your normal household chores.
- When walking down the street, try to concentrate your photography on cracks and objects on the asphalt, while keeping your eyes directed forward, towards the road.
At first, doing exercises to develop lateral vision may seem too tiring to you. You should accustom your eyes to exercises gradually, starting with 15 minutes a day. Take breaks between exercises; if you feel your eyes hurt, blink, take a break.