Retinal Detachment: Warning Signs You Should Never Ignore

Human sight results from a connection between your brain and your eyes, with the latter two organs processing the light and translating the images and sending them through your optic nerve. To reach your optic nerve, images pass through your retina, the layers of nerve tissue that cover the back of your eyes.

The retina also provides focused color vision through photoreceptor cells, the macula, and the fovea, and conditions like retinal detachment can directly affect how well you see. To get it treated as soon as possible, you should be aware of the warning signs. 

Let’s look at why retinal detachments happen, their symptoms, and how we can help treat them. Dr. Jeffrey Rapkin and the medical team at Retina Consultants of Muncie help Muncie, Indiana, residents improve and preserve their vision with a range of services, including treatments for retinal detachment.

Causes of retinal detachment

Detachment of the retina means it pulls away from the tissue that supports it in your eyes, and this can happen for a few different reasons:

• Rhegmatogenous detachment from aging: small retinal tears let vitreous humor fluid leak behind the retina and tear away over time
• Problems from previous eye surgery: healing from surgery can leave scar tissue that can lead to retinal tears
• Eye injury: scars can also form from healing after eye accidents or impact injury
• Family history: the risk of retinal detachment can be passed down genetically

Conditions like diabetes also increase the risk of detachment from the weaker, abnormal blood vessels it creates (called a tractional detachment), and eye inflammation (uveitis) can pose a risk of it by fluid buildup behind the retina.

Symptoms to look out for

When dealing with this vision problem, be ready to get medical help if you have these symptoms:

Sudden light flashes

Photopsia (sudden flashes of light) often happens early on with these detachments, which appear in your peripheral vision in the form of lightning streaks, sparkles, or short light bursts.

Floaters and flashes

You may occasionally see floaters, specks, strings, or cobweb-like objects darting across your eyes, but with this condition, you’ll see hundreds of them floating together within hours or days of the detachment. Retinal detachments can also present with flashes of light in addition to the floaters.

Curtain shadow peripheral vision

A frequent and distinct sign, it’s often described as a dark veil pulled across your vision from one side. Wherever the shadow appears indicates the location of the detachment, and you can no longer process information.

Persistent blurred or distorted vision

Normally, when your eyes go blurry, it’s temporary and clears up after blinking a few times. With this problem, blurriness or distorted vision doesn’t go away, and objects can appear wavy, out of focus, or bent.

Treatment options

To repair the damage from a detachment of your retina, we offer a few options, such as:

Scleral buckle

This permanent silicone band is placed around your eye to keep everything together.

Laser surgery

This works by sealing the tear with focused light, creating a scar that bonds it in place.

Pneumatic retinopexy

A gas bubble that’s injected into the vitreous fluid in your eye and presses against your retina, which seals the tearing and prevents further detachment.

Vitrectomy

Dr. Rapkin completely removes the vitreous fluid and replaces it with gas or air that keeps the retina in position.

If you’re dealing with the signs of a retinal detachment, schedule an appointment with Dr. Rapkin today to diagnose and treat it as soon as possible to preserve your vision.