The Retina and Macula

The retina has two parts: the peripheral retina and the macula. I you imagine the retina as a circle with a bull's-eye at the center, the macula is like the bull's-eye, it is very small. The large area of the retina that surrounds the macula and makes up 95% of the retina is called the peripheral retina.
The peripheral retina give us vision to the side, called peripheral vision. It is this part of the retina what is at work when we see something out of the corner of our eyes. Because the peripheral retina is not able to see detail clearly, we cannot use the peripheral vision to read, thread a needle, drive, or even recognize a face. If you see someone off to your side, you may be able to tell who it is because you recognize the person's general shape, but you won't be able to see the expression on the person's face.
In order to see fine detail, you must look straight ahead, using the macula, the "bull's-eye" center of the retina. Even though the macula makes up only a small part of the retina, it is one hundred times more sensitive to detail than the peripheral retina. The macula allows you to see tiny detail, read fine print, recognize faces, thread a needle, read the time, see street signs and drive a car. If you look and the word MACULA, you are looking at it with your macula. If you keep your eye fixed on the word "macula", you are aware of the other words on the page because of your peripheral vision, but you won't be able to read any of the other words well. If you can read them clearly, it is because you moved your eye and are looking at those words instead of at the word "macula." The only way to see detail is by using your macula.
Blood vessels line the retina. The blood vessels bring oxygen and nutrition to the retina. In order for the peripheral retina and macula to work properly, the blood vessels must be normal. Diabetic retinopathy occurs when the retinal blood vessels become abnormal. With Diabetic Retinopathy you may have no symptoms, the only time you will have symptoms is when the bleeding reaches the macula or the Optic nerve. That is why it is so important for people with Diabetes to have routine dilated eye exams. Macular Degeneration occurs when areas of the macula start to degenerate, this occurs mostly with age and can be hereditary. People with Macular Degeneration loose their central vision. The best way to demonstrate this is for you to close one eye, hold your fist about 2" from and in front of your opposite eye, then look directly at the center of your fist. You can't see anything in the center, but only the things in your peripheral vision. So the next time you know someone who has Macular Degeneration, you'll know what they are seeing. Try doing simple tasks this way. Everyone takes their eyesight for granted, it is one our most precious of senses!!!!