Multiple eye problems have been diagnosed in the past and understanding how our eyes work is a must. When a disease is diagnosed, it is important to know how it will affect us and how we can combat it as well. Being well informed about our body does not only help us fight the diseases but also prevent them.
Our eyes contain a jelly like liquid which helps in maintaining its shape. This is called the vitreous. This vitreous is attached to the retina. It deforms as we age. Furthermore, as the jelly substance liquefies more, parts of the eye specifically the retina gets pulled in directions. The macula is the central portion of the retina which is left with a hole; hence, if the vitreous flows into it, may cause a spot within the retina, causing it to have a partial or full inability to let the light into our eyes and produce vision.
If you have been having blurred or having blurred, grayed or are experiencing blind spot/s in your central vision, have yourself checked by your ophthalmologist. These may be symptoms of a macular hole. Floaters and flashing lights could also be indications of a loose vitreous. However, most of these symptoms happen at the age of 60 and beyond, but occurrence at a younger age is also possible. The vitreous losing its viscosity is not attributed to any disorder. However, it could be caused by trauma or simple deterioration of our bodily functions.
There are different stages of a macular hole. One of the symptoms in its early stages is the inability to read and distorted figures of straight lines turned into curves. When you experience these kinds of symptoms, it is best to visit your doctor and undergo certain tests to determine the extent and gravity of the condition.
There are different options and procedures in healing the macular hole like the macular hole surgery or Vitrectomy. However, ophthalmologists usually allow it to heal on it own since there are times when it does. If it has lasted for more than six months, the doctor may advise for a macular hole surgery to be performed.
The procedure re-shapes the liquid into its original form by trapping air or gas inside it until it re-acquires its original form. The air or bubble eventually goes away while the natural healing process takes place. After a macular hole surgery, it is important that the patient is able to maintain a face-down position. This post-procedure may last from 2-3 days to 2-3 weeks, depending on how much the fluid is able to recover its original shape.
Even after a macular hole surgery, there are ten (10) to fifteen (15) percent chances of having a macular hole on the other eye. It is then important to visit your doctor to check on possible occurrence and to prevent it from happening as well. The possibility of having a cataract is also likely although this could be removed after the healing process.