Macular Hole

As we age, the vitreous, a jelly-like substance that fills your eye and gives it its shape, will become more watery and can cause it to collapse towards the centre of your eyeball. If the vitreous is firmly attached to the macula (part of the retina at the back of the eye), it can pull on it, causing a small tear or hole.

Your macula is the part of the eye responsible for your sharp, central vision. If left untreated, a macular hole can enlarge over time causing your central vision to blur and deteriorate, while peripheral vision remains normal.

You may not notice any symptoms in the early stages of a macular hole, but as most macular holes enlarge over time, it will progressively impact your central vision. Common macular hole symptoms include:

• > Distorted central vision (straight lines appear wavy) 
• > Difficulty reading small print 
• > Increasing blur of printed words 
• > Black or grey spot in the central vision of one eye 
• > Difficulty recognising faces