What is retinal detachment?
The retina is a thin layer of tissue that lines the back of the eye. A retinal detachment is when the retina partially or completely peels away from the back of the eye. If this happens, light signals cannot get back to the brain to be processed into seeing. Depending on the severity of the detachment, vision loss can be severe and permanent.
What are the causes of retinal detachment?
There are numerous causes of retinal detachment. Some causes include:
- injury to the eye,
- a severe head injury,
- eye diseases,
- eye surgery,
- conditions such as diabetes and excessive nearsightedness (myopia).
- thinned retinal areas.
A retinal detachment can occur years after an eye injury or a severe blow to the head.
What are the symptoms of retinal detachment?
Symptoms of retinal detachment usually consist of seeing flashing lights or floating spots and/or an overall lowered vision. Patients sometimes describe changes in vision as a curtain or veil coming down. Sometimes there are no symptoms.
How do you treat retinal detachment?
If a doctor of optometry detects a retinal detachment during your eye health examination, you will be referred to an ophthalmologist. Treating a retinal detachment usually involves surgery. The goal of the surgery is to first reattach the affected retina and prevent further vision loss.
If your retina has weak areas, such as holes or tears, without a detachment, treatment may involve stabilizing the retina using freezing or a laser treatment (not the same laser used for laser eye surgery). This treatment lowers the chance of a retinal detachment. The sooner this treatment is given, the better the chance of success.
How do you prevent retinal detachment?
Often, they occur spontaneously with no prior warning signs. Seeing a doctor of optometry for routine eye examinations can help prevent small holes, tears and detachments in your retina from progressing, if detected early and treated quickly.