So, simple explanation of why I see things differently.
Your whole eye isn’t just there, helping you see as one big mass on it’s own.
There is alot going on in there. Lots of different parts. There are different sections of your eyes, responsible for different parts of your vision ie… Colours, central vision, peripheral vision, brightness, light, focus, drainage of fluid, electrical pulse etc.
So, my condition affects the central vision. The Macula, which is the component responsible for clear central vision, situated within the retina.
The Macula and the parts within this itself. Are responsible for clear, detailed, close up central vision. Light detection and colours.
So this goes some ways to explain why my distance vision isn’t too bad, but I can’t make out close detail too quickly. If at all.
The part responsible for peripheral (the surrounding vision) is outside of my damaged Macula. I am having field tests (field of vision) at the moment to check on my peripheral vision.
Abit like on a car. Say my windscreen is cracked, but the rest of the car works fine.
If you would like a more detailed breakdown of the components of the eye please see click on the picture link to my post about this below.
You know that your eyes allow you to see and that several different factors affect good or poor eye health. But what else do you know about your eyes? Do you know what parts comprise this amazing organ or how they aid in vision?
Anterior Chamber
The anterior chamber rests behind your cornea but in front of your lens and iris. It holds the aqueous humor and allows it to drain properly from your eyes into your bloodstream.
Aqueous Humor
This thick fluid rests in the anterior chamber and provides nutrients to these two parts of your eyes. The liquid must drain regularly, and your body replaces it.
However, if you develop glaucoma, this fluid will build up, creating an uncomfortable pressure in your eyes.
Choroid
This small, vascular layer sits between your eye’s sclera and retina. It provides the outer layers of the retina with nourishment (through blood vessels) and oxygen. While you won’t develop health issues in the choroid, this component refracts light, causing the red-eye effect in photos.
Ciliary Body
The ciliary body sits between your choroid and iris, and it produces the aqueous humor and holds the lens in place.
Conjunctiva
This clear membrane covers the white portion of your eye, or the sclera. The conjunctiva also covers the inside of your eyelids. It produces mucus and tears to lubricate your eyes and keeps microbes out of your eyes.
If this thin membrane becomes inflamed or swollen, you likely have conjunctivitis, commonly known as pink eye. Other eye conditions that affect the conjunctiva include pinguecula, pterygium, and subconjunctival hemorrhages.
Cornea
Your cornea is a clear covering that rests over your pupil, iris, and anterior chamber. It provides most of your eye’s optical power. The cornea refracts light and helps your eyes focus on objects in your line of sight.
Eye issues that relate to your cornea include astigmatism, corneal abrasions, keratitis, keratoconus, and pterygium.
Fovea
The fovea is a small depression in your retina that contains cones to aid in proper eyesight. If you have problems with the fovea or the cones in it, you could develop blurry vision.
Iris
The iris is the colored portion of your eye. It is made up of a fibrovascular tissue called the stroma. The stroma connects to a muscle that allows your pupils to contract and dilate.
Developing a disease in the iris is rare, but you could still contract some conditions that affect your eye’s intraocular pressure, and, indirectly, your vision.
Lens
This part of your eye is a transparent structure inside your eye. It’s about the shape of a lentil, and it can curve both inward and outward. Like the cornea, your lens refracts light. The lens is held in place by a fibrous membrane called the zonule of Zinn or the suspensory ligaments of the lens.
If the lens has an irregular curve to it, then you’re likely to develop astigmatism. Another vision condition involving the lens is cataracts, where the lens becomes opaque or cloudy and impairs vision.
Macula
This part of your eye is close to the center of your retina. The macula allows you to see objects in great detail. Macular Dystrophy is a genetic condition (from conception) that will present itself somewhere in the timeline of your life. Usually at a young age. If you are lucky in your 40s. There is another condition which is as you reach old age. This isn’t genetic and called Macular Degeneration, a condition that can also cause central vision loss.
Optic Nerve
This nerve carries electrical impulses from the rods and cones in the retina to the visual cortex in your brain. Without the optic nerve, your other eye components cannot send images to your brain and produce your sense of sight.
Pupil
Your pupil is the black circle in the center of your iris. It regulates how much light enters your eye. Interestingly, the pupil appears black because this tissue absorbs most of the light that passes through it.
Retina
Your retina is a sensory membrane that covers the entire back surface of your eye. When your lens picks up images, these images are sent to the retina. The retina then changes these images into signals that the optic nerve then pulses to your brain.
Some ocular issues that affect the retina include diabetic retinopathy, retinal detachment, retinitis pigmentosa, and retinoblastoma.
Sclera
The sclera is more commonly known as the whites of your eyes. This fibrous layer contains collagen and protects the inner components of your eye from damage.
Trabecular Meshwork
This component is located at the base of your cornea. It drains the aqueous humor from your eye through the anterior chamber. Using tubes known as Schlemm’s canal, the trabecular meshwork lets fluid drain into your blood system.
If the trabecular meshwork can’t properly drain the aqueous humor, you could be at risk for glaucoma.
Vitreous Humor
This transparent, gelatinous material sits between your lens and retina. It also lines the back of your eye. The vitreous humor contains cells called phagocytes that remove debris from your eye so you don’t develop eye infections.
6 years today from the day I got my diagnosis… 28th May 2015.
PICTURE DESCRIPTION Facebook post. Had a very weird and busy day so far, so I’m off for a pint with Catherine. Not exactly party central but we deserve a pint.
Went to the pub and was bamboozled and confused. I was just sent away without ANY further information. Had to look up details online about my eye condition, the one that had always been there, but seemingly snuck up all of a sudden. It all looked frightening and very hard to understand.
Wasn’t much information out there. Still isn’t.
I needed to know desperately how long my eyesight would remain OK. It was like an obsession for months and months. How serious was this? When will I lose my central vision? but I couldn’t find the answers.
Now I realise that there isn’t an answer. So many people who are newly diagnosed join a group online or write a blog, it’s the first thing they ask. Like I did.
Only years down the line, now it’s becoming harder to hide and cannot ignore, I’ve thought many times I cannot hide it any longer and why the hell should I be embarrassed, but 6 years later, I’m still self conscious about it, but nowadays it’s about different things than a few years ago. I’m better than I was. I will now look at my phone out and about close up if I haven’t got my reading glasses with me. I almost dare someone to say anything, and they have. But, I’m ready for them ☺. I will now sit inside somewhere with sunglasses on if I know it will cause pain later. It isn’t about what anyone thinks. It is about saving myself from discomfort.
There are things I used to do I will never do again. Simple stuff and then major stuff to me… Like driving.
But I have to appreciate what I can do today. Because I will have much harder hills to climb than this in the future. So I appreciate what I can do now. As this moment right now. When I look back in the future. I know that this part of the progression will seem easy peasy to what I would have to adapt to eventually.
I posted nothing about it that day. This was posted by someone who was probably more worried for me than I was for myself.
From that day on, it was hidden from everyone but those extremely close to me.
I couldn’t explain why I could pick a leaf from the ground, but struggle to see the little details on a photograph. At least now I can.
It does sometimes make you look to someone that doesn’t understand like I’m making it up. I can point something out to you a real distance away, but then I won’t wave at you just incase it isn’t you. I go by the shape I recognise and not the face. Then, next I can have my phone stuck near my face asking you to explain the photograph you’re showing me.
I suppose it made me feel there was nothing wrong at this point and I would have years and years. I would be old before this happened surely.
I will always be thankful that this eye problem presented itself late onset, that it wasn’t something that would seriously jeopardise my life.
That day, Before the diagnosis she gave me. Detachments that could make me permanently blind and tumours were mentioned. The consultant that day explained she would have to look into my eyes with the magnifier and the light prism after some tests I’d had. She did that and immediately saw the pattern identifying Macular Dystrophy. I asked if that was going to kill me, that’s all I was concerned about. So, I will be forever gratefully relieved as I was in that moment.
I didn’t tell anyone that at the time. There you go. So it was a relief when they diagnosed me with Macular Dystrophy. Even though I had no clue what it was. I do feel extremely thankful and lucky. Some People at that hospital 6 years ago, won’t have been so lucky that day.
One Vision Blog 