Giving the retina a knock out

Boxers will someday put up a fight they will never be able to fight back. Traumas on the head owing to several fights could cause their retinas to bleed, tear and separate that in time will cause blindness. Once retinas are damaged, no treatment will restore it. If you enjoy watching boxing or envy the millions of boxing champions, think again. What profit would it be to earn millions or billions of dollars per fight, only to end up a blind man for life?

The story of the retina is a classic case of scripture passage that reads, “for what profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his soul.” Or in the case of the retina, for what profit a man are his millions if he loses his sight.

The retina is a thin, delicate tissue that lines the inside of the back of the eye and is connected by the optic nerve to the brain. It is with the retina that we see images. Light striking the retina causes complex biochemical changes within its layers that trigger electrical responses, stimulate nerve endings and transmit these signals to the brain.

Though the retina is the size of a postage stamp, yet it is by this wonderful and intricate interplay of signals and electrical responses that allow us to see and to understand what we are seeing. From seeing, it allows us to discern and believe between evil and good. Because it is a tissue, blood vessels supply the retina with oxygen. When the blood vessels constrict or when there is trauma in the eye, the retina separates from the eyeball and the likelihood of blindness sets in.

First retina specialist in Cebu, Dr. Victorio Naranjo Cajita said that the most common retina-related diseases are retinal detachment, retinal dialysis or retinal tear and diabetic retinopathy.

Because the retina has no nerve, diseases in the retina bears no pain. In most cases, people don’t really know they are have retinal problems until they are about to be blind. When a person experiences blurring or when he sees something floating, it may not be because he is hungry, rather he may have retinal problems. The retina may have been torn, the blood vessels may have been constricted or that the retina is about to be detached.

All about lifestyle.

Dr. Cajita said diseases in the retina are lifestyle issues. Yes you may say, it may seem quite farfetched. For what does lifestyle have to do with the eye, or more specifically the inner eye. Alarmingly he said that the fastfood mania is actually a contributor to retina-related diseases. He said the more fatty food you eat, the bigger the tendency for cholesterol to constrict blood vessels in the retina.

Then if you lead a lifestyle where you are prone to traumas in the head, the more likely retinas will be torn or detached. Studies show that activities which cause direct trauma to the eye such as boxing, kickboxing and karate may cause a particular type of retinal tear called retinal dialysis.

Activities that involve sudden acceleration or deceleration also increase eye pressure and thus are contributory to retina traumas. Among such activities are bungee jumping, drag racing and rollercoaster rides. You only need to have a penchant for a crazy, life-on-the-edge lifestyle to destroy your retina and be blind for life.  

 But mixed martial arts expert and instructor Neal Alvarez said that while it is true that head trauma tends to cause injuries in the retina, the discipline for meditation can protect the retina from being damaged. Alvarez who has been in martial arts for over 20 years and practices meditation says that meditation has protected and strengthened his body from impact.

Still he said that because most boxers and kickboxers don’t have the discipline for meditation, they are likely to suffer retina injuries.

Treatment for retina detachment can be done with laser or surgery. Dr. Cajita cautioned that treatment will only stop the bleeding or prevent the retina from falling off but will not restore sight.

Dr. Cajita said the best way to keep the retina from being knocked off or knocked out is simply to eat healthy food and lead a healthy life. The other caution is to have regular examination especially for those experiencing blurs or floaters. It may only take a minute to cause injury or constrict blood vessels on the retina. That injury though could mean leading a life in darkness.