Retina and optic nerve: what tests to do to check that they are in good health
Have you ever heard of retinal cell suffering? It refers to a condition in which cells in the retina, the light-sensitive tissue located at the back of the eye, experience damage or stress. These cells, including photoreceptors (rods and cones), are essential for vision as they convert light into electrical signals that are sent to the brain. When these cells suffer, various vision problems can occur, from reduced sharpness to partial or total loss of vision. And it was precisely on this topic that a reader’s request arrived at the editorial office and is being responded to Massimo Nicolòhead of the Retina Medical, Maculopathy and Uveitis Center of the San Martino Irccs Polyclinic Hospital in Genoa.
Request. They diagnosed me with retinal cell damage, with a myopia of 1.25 diopters in my right eye. Unfortunately, even with correction I cannot recognize people 8 meters away. Furthermore, the left eye is lazy and with correction I see 4/10ths: is there any treatment that can improve the situation I described?
Send your questions to salute@gedi.it
Answer. The retina is a thin tissue that lines the inner surface of the eye. It is made up of an alternation of layers that contain cells of nervous origin and layers that contain their connecting fibers. There are different types of retinal cells, each with a precise function. The best known and probably most important are the photoreceptors, highly specialized cells capable of transforming the light that enters the eye into an electrical impulse which is then conveyed via the optic nerve to our brain which processes it into an image. Within the retina there is an area called “macula” which constitutes the most central and noble part of the retina. The macula is made up of particular types of photoreceptors that allow high definition vision. Thanks to the macula we can recognize colors, read, write and have a high definition of the details of objects and the world around us. In the case of our reader, it is therefore probable that by “suffering of the retinal cells” we mean a suffering of the central part of the retina and therefore of the macula and therefore some form of maculopathy. Clearly, it is not possible to say much more from this little information. In any case, I would like to recommend the reader to carry out some instrumental checks, which he will probably have already done. Particularly useful is the Oct exam, which has now become irreplaceable in the diagnosis of macular diseases. It is a highly informative and absolutely non-invasive test. Just as the visual field examination is non-invasive, it is also very useful for understanding any malfunctions of the optic nerve.
