Retina

→ Optic disc

The optic disc, or blind spot, is a circular area located in the centre of the retina (the optic nerve head), where the extensions of the neurons are gathered to transport the impulse to the brain. It is not sensitive to light stimuli as it has no rods or cones.

→ Retinal artery and veins

The artery and veins in the retina are responsible for feeding the innermost layers of the retina.

→ Macula

The macula lutea is the most important part of the retina as it allows us to see with maximum visual acuity. It is a small area located right in the centre of the retina and is responsible for our central vision, but also for detailed vision and movement. The macula enables us to make out faces, colours and smaller objects. This is because it contains the fovea centralis, the area with the highest concentration of cones (retinal cells sensitive to light).

→ Fovea centralis

The fovea centralis is a yellowish shallow pit located in the centre of the macula and is responsible for the majority of our overall visual acuity. This is where the light rays that arrive at the retina are focused.

→ Peripheral retina

The peripheral retina is what provides us with our periphery vision. In other words, if we observe someone outside of our central field of vision, this part of the retina enables us to recognise the shape and silhouette thanks to the peripheral field of vision.

→ Vitreous body

The interior of the eye, or the eyeball, is filled with a vitreous humour or fluid made up of collagen, water and hyaluronic acid. This fluid is entirely transparent and is attached to the retina. With the passage of time, the vitreous body, as the rest of our body, will undergo an aging process and, consequently, certain related disorders may begin to appear, such as floaters.
This mainly begins to happen from the age of 50, when the consistency of the vitreous humour becomes more liquid, moves more easily within the eye and pulls away from the retina, leading to vitreous detachment.

→ What does the retina do?

The retina’s role is to convert the light it receives into a nerve impulse that travels to the brain along the optic nerve, so we can see the images just as we perceive them. This light enters by the cornea, passes through the pupil and the lens, finally arriving at the retina.

→ Why does the retina invert images?

Images essentially become inverted by the crystalline lens, so they will already be inverted when they arrive at the retina. The arrangement of the nerve fibres that connect the retina to the brain then reverse the image so that the brain interprets it the right way round.

→ Can high cholesterol and blood pressure affect the retina?

High cholesterol and blood pressure can cause a number of different health problems, including issues related to our eye health. They can even trigger disorders that could lead to irreversible loss of vision. Both factors may cause alterations to the blood flow to our eyes, which in turn would reduce the supply of oxygen to the eye tissue. This could even affect the central retinal artery, leading to a retinal infarction or a retinal artery occlusion.

→ Why does the retina bleed?

The retina cannot bleed, but the blood vessels inside it can. Haemorrhages may occur at different heights of the retina, depending on their origin.

→ How can I take care of my retinas

The best way to take care of your retinas is to be examined by a specialist ophthalmologist on an annual basis, in addition to adopting a healthy diet and lifestyle. A diet rich in nutrients and antioxidants will help you to avoid any disorders that can lead to progressive vision loss.

→ Why does the retina become inflamed?

The retina may become inflamed as a result of a disorder known as posterior uveitis. This can be caused by a wide range of different infections or autoimmune problems. It is a potentially serious problem that could lead to severe loss of vision.

→ How can I strengthen my retina?

Although people often excessively recommend vitamin supplements for the retina, you can significantly prevent the risk of developing disorders by simply following a healthy diet and protecting yourself from solar radiation throughout the year. Supplements are not always recommended for all cases.

→ I struggle to recognise colours, is this related to the retina?

The retina is the sensitive layer of the eye that enables us to see. There are a number of specialised cells in the retina that detect light and colours. These cells are called rods and cones, named as such due to their shapes when looked at through a microscope. The cells that are stimulated with colours are called cones, and they are located in the macula. There are three different types of cones, which are sensitive to the colours red, green and blue respectively.
The inability to see colours properly is a disorder known as colour blindness, which may be hereditary or acquired over the course of your life. Congenital vision problems usually appear in patients at an early age.

→ What is cystoid macular edema?

At our Retina, Macula and Vitreous Humour Unit, we treat a disorder known as cystoid macular edema, which is caused by areas of fluid building up in the central area of the retina, also known as the macula, as a result of petal-shaped cysts developing in the eye due to some form of inflammation. This may be treated with either an injection of antiangiogenic medication or by laser, depending on the severity.

→ Can bull's eye maculopathy affect the retina?

The disorder known as bull’s eye maculopathy primarily affects the macula, as it occurs due a lesion developing there. It will cause the patient to experience symptoms like concentric halos, hyperpigmentation and atrophy, leading to a lower quality of vision. This can be treated with antiangiogenic therapy.

→ What are macular drusen?

Drusen are small deposits of waste material that the body is not able to remove via blood circulation, so they often accumulate in the retina or the optic nerve. The appearance of macular drusen is very common from the age of 45 years old. These accumulations can develop into a form of macular degeneration (AMD).