RETINAL DETACHMENT

Retinal tear and retinal detachment:

Detached  retina, usually, the vitreous moves away from the retina without causing problem. But sometimes the vitreous pulls hard enough to tear the retina in one or more places. Fluid may pass through a retinal tear, lifting the retina off the back of the eye — much as wallpaper can peel off a wall. When the retina is pulled away from the back of the eye like this, it is called a retinal detachment.

The retina does not work when it is detached and vision becomes blurry. A retinal detachment is a very serious problem that almost always  causes blindness unless it is treated with detached retina surgery.  Vitreous gel, the clear material that fills the eyeball,  is attached to the retina  in the back of the eye. As we get older, the vitreous may change shape, pulling away from the retina. If the vitreous pulls a piece of the retina  with it, causing a retinal tear. Once a retinal tear occurs, vitreous fluid may seep through and lift the retina off the back wall of the eye, causing the retina to detach or pull away.

Vitreous fluid normally shrinks as we age, and this usually doesn’t cause damage to the retina. However inflammation (swelling)  nearsightedness (myopia) may cause the vitreous to pull away and result retinal detachment.

Symptoms of a retinal tear and a retinal detachment can include the following:

A sudden increase in size and number of floaters, indicating a retinal tear may be occurring  A sudden appearance of flashes, which could be the first stage of a retinal tear or detachment.

Having a shadow appear in the periphery (side) of your field of vision;  Seeing a gray curtain moving across your field of vision; a sudden decrease in your vision.