How to Spot Early Signs of Retinal Detachment
Vitreous Retina Macula Consultants of New York
Internationally known leaders in the diagnosis and treatment of retinal diseases.
Cutting your finger or twisting your ankle hurts. However, if one of your retinas, the light-sensitive tissue at the back of your eyes, is damaged, you will not experience discomfort. Your retina, the component of your eye that transmits visual information to the brain, can be ripped or even disconnected from its blood supply without causing you any discomfort.?
But no pain does not imply any symptoms. Indeed, eye professionals believe everyone should know the clear warning symptoms. The sooner the patient is diagnosed and treated, the better the outcome of retinal detachment treatment.
When the retina rips off the back of your eye, much like wallpaper peeling from a steamy bathroom wall, it cannot perform its function. Untreated, a detachment can result in permanent vision loss or blindness in the affected eye. The most frequent type of detachment occurs when a tear forms in the tissue-thin retina, allowing fluid to flow behind it and loosen it. In vulnerable persons, retinal tears are most commonly caused by what appear to be typical changes in the aging eye.
The most essential changes to watch for are:
Floaters are specks that appear in front of your eyes but originate from within them.?
They may appear as spider webs, bugs hovering in your vision, or even a small dark swirl.
The particles are more evident in bright light, especially against a white background. Floaters you've had for a long time are usually not a cause for concern.?
However, every new crop that arrives unexpectedly should be taken seriously. Floaters are frequently caused by age-related changes in the ball of gel that fills the space between the lens in the front of your eye and the retina in the back. This gel ball, known as the vitreous, decreases and becomes more liquid as you age, resulting in blobs and threads visible in your vision.?
Typically, after age 60, the vitreous peels away from the retina. A posterior vitreous detachment might produce little bleeding and a sudden floater increase. The difficulty is that this separation can occasionally rupture the retina, resulting in a retinal detachment. Diabetes and other disorders can produce eye abnormalities that lead to floaters.
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If you notice quick flashes of light or lightning streaks in your field of vision, interpret them as messages from your retina. Flashes suggest something is pulling somewhere. It indicates that the retina is being activated. So, it is either being stimulated by the gel pushing on it, the gel splitting, or the formation of a retinal tear.?
Gel separation is innocuous, but tears are not, and the nature of the flashes makes it impossible to discern the difference. Flashing lights can indicate either something harmless or something harmful.
If your retina has already begun to detach from the back of your eye, you may notice a more specific symptom: a black shadow or curtain covering a portion of your vision. The curtain may appear from the sides, top, or bottom of your vision. Once it appears, it does not go away and may expand in size.
What Do I Do If I Notice Any of the Above?
If you notice a lot of new floaters, flashes of light, or shadows in your vision, you should consult an ophthalmologist right once, within 24 to 48 hours. Some ophthalmologists have received further training as retina specialists and are the most skilled in diagnosing and treating retinal tears and detachments. If you are unsure who to contact, ask your primary care physician for a referral.
What Will Happen Next?
The ophthalmologist will place drops in your eyes to dilate or expand your pupils before inspecting your retina using a specialized lens. The doctor may press down on your eye to gain a better view. Some will snap photographs or perform an ultrasound. If a minor tear is discovered, you may be treated quickly with a laser.?
More extensive tears and detachments frequently necessitate surgery, which is normally completed within a few days. Various techniques are utilized. Most people recover with a vision similar to what they had prior to the tear or detachment. However, if the center of the retina, known as the macula, has moved away, full vision may not be restored.
What if there is no tear or detachment? That's what happens in the majority of floaters and flashes. However, just to be safe, you may be requested to return in a month for another check. You may be asked to return in a week if there are signs of bleeding.