Mulqueeny Eye Centers Friday Fun Fact

These are some spooky looking eyes, right?  All of us at one time or another have experienced the dreaded "red-eye" in our photographs.  Thank goodness for photoshop!

But do you know what causes the red-eye effect in our pictures?  The red color comes from the light that reflects off the retina - the back of the eye.    The flash on a camera is just bright enough to cause a reflection off of the retina and what you see is the red color from the many blood vessels that are contained there.

Did you also know that the retina, sometimes referred to as the fundus, is the only place in the body where you can directly view blood vessels and nerves.  Because of this, eye doctors are many times the first to diagnose a systemic disease - diabetes for example - before the patient or primary care doctor are even aware of the condition.

Another great reason not to skip your annual eye examination!