The human nervous system is truly incredible if you think about it. Your brain and body work together to sense the world using only tiny nerves and delicate sensory organs. While taste, touch, smell, and hearing are key, eyesight is our most impressive sense, in our opinion. In fact, a huge portion of the human brain is devoted to visual processing. What we call vision really consists of two main parts: central and peripheral vision. Allow us to explain some differences between the two and why peripheral vision is so essential to overall eyesight.

Peripheral Vision

Peripheral vision refers to our ability to detect motion and objects outside our center of focus. Believe it or not, it makes up a vast majority of our total field of view. By contrast, central vision refers to the small sliver of focus in our direct line of sight. Central and peripheral vision work together to allow us to see most things around us most of the time. 

When you look at something closely, you can usually still see about 180 degrees around you. While this may sound like magic, it’s actually quite natural, and many animals have an even wider field of view. When we look at something directly, our eyes fixate on that object and we see it in detail. However, when we look away from something, our eyes relax and allow us to see a wider area with less clarity. Simply put, this wide-angle view is what we call peripheral vision. 

Both central and peripheral vision are essential to overall eyesight. For instance, central vision is necessary for precise activities like reading, writing, eating, cooking, creating art, and working on cars. However, the world would be much more dangerous and difficult to navigate without peripheral vision. Imagine if you couldn’t move your eyes and had to turn your head like an owl to look at anything.

How Does Peripheral Vision Work?

Human retinas contain two types of light-sensitive cells called rods and cones. The rods are denser in the periphery of the retina where they detect movement and low levels of light. Cones, on the other hand, are concentrated near the center of the retina and are involved with detailed vision and color perception.

The distribution of rods and cones gives us both central and peripheral vision. It allows us to detect movement even when we aren’t focusing directly on it. This helps us quickly notice danger, identify shapes, and even perceive colors without much conscious attention. In fact, our vision can work so well that we rarely have to think about it. 

Our eyes are constantly sensing information all around us, even when we aren’t aware of it. However, there’s simply too much visual input for us to process it all consciously. That’s why we often ignore things that we can see but deem to be useless or irrelevant. Psychologists sometimes call this “change blindness,” “selective attention,” or “inattentional blindness.” Luckily, we don’t have to be consciously aware of our surroundings for our eyes to sense them.

Why Is it Important?

Peripheral vision helps us respond to threats and objects in our environment. The ability to detect movement out of the corner of our eyes allows us to react faster than our brain can think. This is crucial in our fast-paced world where countless people, places, and things constantly compete for our precious attention.

Our peripheral vision also helps us make quick decisions. Without it, we would have to consciously focus on every minor detail before making any kind of visual judgement call. In this way, peripheral vision often works unconsciously and automatically alongside our other instinctive reflexes.

Peripheral vision plays a significant role in many fast-paced activities. For instance, the human brain processes a massive amount of visual input while playing sports or driving a car. In these cases, there’s simply too much going on for our central vision alone to keep up. Peripheral vision fills in the gaps by letting us see many things without giving them our direct attention.

This is clearly and effortlessly demonstrated by professional athletes. Notice how skilled football, hockey, and basketball players often look forward while passing to players in other directions. They can do this because they’ve learned to use peripheral vision to shift their attention without moving their head or eyes.

Protect Your Peripheral Vision

Much of our eyesight comes from peripheral vision. Without it, we’d struggle to safely drive, play sports, and even ride a bike down the sidewalk. Since vision depends on the nervous system, one of the best ways to protect your eyes is by taking care of your brain and nerves.

To protect your peripheral vision, remember to eat a balanced diet, drink plenty of water, and prioritize your sleep schedule. Consider limiting screen time, especially before bedtime, and consult your eye doctor if you experience persistent dizziness, allergies, blurry vision, or light sensitivity. Make a note of any sudden vision changes, and schedule regular eye exams to catch symptoms early, especially if you suffer from diabetes. 

If you have any questions about vision or how to protect your eyes, then we hope you’ll contact us for more information. Your eyesight is a gift, and we’d be honored to help you make the most of it no matter what.