Top 5 causes of retinal disease

Your eyes are known as the windows to your soul and rightfully so. Not only can they talk volumes about how you are feeling but they also help you see the myriad of images and colours all around you. But despite all the functions this delicate organ performs, it is also equally prone to infections and a host of otherailments. In this post we tell you about the most common causes for one such group of eye related diseases — retinal disease.

What is the retina?The retina is a layer of tissue that is found at the back of your eyes. It’s main function is to sense light and send images to your brain so you can cognate what it is. A very essential part of the retina is the macula, a nerve rich region present at the centre of your retina that helps provide sharp, central vision that is essential for activities like reading, driving and seeing fine details.

What is retinal disease?

Broadly defined this is a condition where the retina’s functioning is affected due to either some damage to it, an infection or degeneration. Some of the most common retinal diseases are age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, macular pucker, retinoblastoma, retinal detachment, river blindness and retinitis pigmentosa.

What are the most common causes of retinal disease?

Cause #1 : Lifestyle disease like diabetesand hypertension: Dr Aparna Gupta, Consultant Vitreoretina, Max healthcare,says, ‘These ailments are the leading cause of retinal disease. This is because both diabetes and hypertension either restrict the flow of blood to the retina, may increase pressure of the blood that reaches the eye or could lead to the formation of blood clots in the blood vessels leading to the retina. All these factors greatly increases your risk of suffering from the disease.’

Cause #2: Increased blood cholesterollevels: According to Dr Aparna, high blood cholesterol levels is the leading cause for one particular retinal disease called retinal vein occlusion. This is a condition where a blood clot blocks the flow of blood to and from the retina, in turn increasing the pressure within those blood vessels. This increased pressure and inability to drain pooled blood from the blood vessels leading to the eye can damage the retina leading to the ailment.

Cause #3: Smoking: Apart from all the ill effects this habit has, it also affects your retina making it more prone to degradation and associated diseases. Smoking increases your blood pressure, leads to the formation of clots in your blood vessels, decreases the amount of oxygen in your blood and reduces your body’s ability to repair any damage that is caused due to wear and tear — all factors that put you at risk of suffering from retinal diseases.

Cause # 4: Increased exposure to UV radiation: Ultraviolet light (UV) affects your retinal tissue directly and leads to the accumulation of products that can harm your retina. Dr Aparna says, ‘ The constant exposure to this spectrum of light is one of the main causes of macular degeneration — a very common retinal disease.’

Cause #5: High myopia (short- sightedness): According to Dr Aparna a high myopia also known as nearsightedness makes you more prone to suffering from a condition called myopic degeneration. This is a condition where, due to the increase in myopia (the inability to see distant objects) the cornea (part of the eye that helps focus an image) stretches and leads to the damage of the retina.

How can this condition be prevented?

Dr Aparna says, ‘ People with a high risk of suffering from retinal disease should make it a point to eat fresh colorful fruits, green leafy vegetables, foods rich inomega-3 fatty acids such as salmon, tuna,almonds, walnuts, flaxseed etc. Apart from that, if they suffer from diabetes, high blood cholesterol levels or hypertension, they should try to keep it under control. Also, those who have the above mentioned risk factors should also get an annual retinal examination