Today is World Retina Day

Today we celebrate World Retina Day.

On this occasion Dr. Veronika Bacheva, specialist ophthalmologist at Hаеlan Care — Bulgaria, shares important information about the role of the retina and ways to keep it healthy.

The retina is an extremely delicate and vital layer of nervous tissue located at the back of the eye. It captures light, converts it into electrical impulses and sends them to the brain via the optic nerve. This is how the images we perceive are formed. It can be said that The retina is like a “screen” on which our world is projected — without it, vision would be impossible.

When the retina is damaged, our vision is endangered. Often irreversibly. Therefore timely diagnosis and treatment are the key. One of the most important messages of this day is precisely to pay attention to prevention and regular eye examinations.

The most common diseases of the retina include:

Diabetic retinopathy — develops in people with diabetes and affects blood vessels in the retina. It can proceed without symptoms for a long time, but gradually leads to blurred vision and even blindness if not treated in time.

Age-related macular degeneration — affects the central part of the retina (macula), which is responsible for clear and detailed vision. This is one of the leading causes of vision loss in people over 60 years of age.

Retinal detachment An urgent and serious condition. Symptoms such as sudden flashes, the appearance of “midges” or floating turbidity in the field of vision require immediate medical intervention.

Prevention is the key!
Regular eye exams — even when there are no complaints — can save your eyesight. Controlling diabetes and high blood pressure, quitting smoking, wearing sunglasses with UV protection, a balanced diet rich in antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids, as well as maintaining a healthy lifestyle, significantly reduce the risk of retinal diseases.

Vision problems do not only affect quality of life — they can also lead to social isolation, loss of ability to work and dependence on help from others. That is why it is important to talk about them and seek help in time.

On World Retina Day, we remind ourselves that vision is priceless.

Eye care begins with prevention. Our eyes are our window to the world — let's do everything we can to keep them healthy.