The eye is truly an amazing organ! Have you ever wondered what your optometrist in Canberra looks at when they check the health of your eyes? Let’s take a look at all the different parts of your eye.
The cornea is the transparent dome-like window that is at the very front of your eye. Not only does it help focus the light entering your eye, but it protects your eyes from the outside world. The cornea is innervated with a dense network of nerves, which makes the cornea incredibly sensitive to pain as well. That’s why the tiny piece of dust that flew into your eye feels like a mountain! This sensitivity is also essential in reminding us to blink and produce tears. There are numerous corneal conditions which can affect the shape or sensitivity of the cornea, such as keratoconus, Fuchs endothelial dystrophy or neurotrophic ulcers. These are some of the conditions that your optometrist in Canberra can pick up during a simple, painless, routine eye examination.
The Sclera is the outer white structure of the eye, which is responsible for providing its shape and protection. Lying over the Sclera is the conjunctiva, a thin tissue membrane that helps lubricate the eye and provides an immune response to protect against infections. Our conjunctiva is constantly exposed to the outside world, particularly UV radiation from the sun. This prolonged exposure over time can alter the structure of the conjunctiva, leading to the development of pingueculum and pterygium. Your optometrist in Canberra can provide you with specific advice on how to reduce irritation to your conjunctiva and maintain its health.
The Iris is what gives your eye its colour (blue, brown or green). It’s a muscle behind the cornea that regulates the amount of light entering the eye. In the centre of the Iris is a black hole, which is called the pupil. In dark lighting conditions, the pupil enlarges to let in more light, and the opposite occurs during bright light. This constriction or dilation is involuntary and happens automatically without you realising. Eye conditions such as uveitis can affect the function of the Iris, causing pain and discomfort in response to bright lights. Your optometrist in Canberra checks the function of your Iris during a standard routine eye examination.
Behind the Iris is the lens of the eye. This is a flexible structure responsible for fine-tuning the focus of your eye. The lens changes shape or accommodates, depending on what you’re looking at. To focus on objects closer to you, the lens becomes thicker; for objects further away, the lens becomes thinner. The ability of the lens to accommodate becomes more challenging as we age, meaning most of us will need reading glasses at some point in our lives. Our lenses age and become cloudy over time. The most common eye disease which affects the lens is cataracts. With today’s technology and improved surgical techniques, addressing cataracts is now a straightforward operation, yielding excellent outcomes. Your optometrist in Canberra can recommend surgeons and liaise with other professionals to ensure your cataracts are addressed in a timely and appropriate manner.
Occupying the main bulk of the eye is the vitreous humour. This gel-like substance helps maintain the eye’s shape and allows light to pass through the eye to the retina. It transports oxygen and nutrients to the retina. The vitreous breaks down over time as a part of the normal ageing process. As this happens, you may experience the occasional dark spots floating across your field of vision. When you notice these dark spots, it is essential to consult your optometrist in Canberra promptly for an eye examination to rule out any other severe eye conditions that may be causing them.
The retina is a tissue at the back of our eye responsible for light-sensitive cells, Including Rods and cones, that help us detect light and motion. These cells convert light into electrical signals that are then transferred back to your brain. Rods are sensitive to dim light and play a crucial role in enhancing our night vision. Cones help us see colour and finer detail in bright light. They are predominately located in our macula, which is responsible for our central vision. Eye diseases that affect the retina may not have obvious vision symptoms until the very late stages of the disease.
The optic nerve is a cranial nerve which transmits visual information, or signals, from the eye to the brain. The brain then interprets these signals as images. Your optometrist in Canberra examines your optic nerves for certain conditions, such as glaucoma, which causes damage to the nerve fibre layer in your retina.
The Bottom Line
It’s remarkable that such a small body organ, averaging approximately 2.4 cm in size, has so many different structures within it. Given that each part of the eye plays a crucial role in helping us see, your optometrist checks each component to ensure you can see clearly and that your eye remains healthy.
Our eyes are made up of very intricate and delicate parts. Your optometrist in Canberra examines all of these parts in detail, along with our latest diagnostic technologies, to ensure that any early stages of eye diseases are detected before they affect your vision. This is one of the reasons why it is essential to have routine eye examinations to ensure your vision and eye health are optimal for the years to come.