
Symptoms
Symptoms of a detached retina, which typically involves one eye, are often associated with vision. 2 Floaters that may appear as grey spots, strings, or spider webs floating in your field of vision What seems like a dark curtain or veil moving over your whole field of vision
Causes
Sometimes, small tears in the retina can cause detachment. The macula is the part of the retina that is responsible for vision. In retinal detachment, the macula may or may not become detached. If it does, there is a higher chance of central vision loss. This is a break, tear, or hole in the retina.
Prevention
A smaller retinal detachment can even be completely symptom-free, but it is still just as serious as a detachment with symptoms. Regular eye exams help eye doctors spot the early warning signs of a detached retina before it detaches or tears.
Complications
Because these progressive signs and symptoms continue to worsen and can suddenly result in vision loss, it’s vital to seek immediate medical attention whenever any signs of a detached retina, including early warning signs, occur. 3.
What are the symptoms of a detached retina?
What is retinal detachment and what causes it?
Is a retinal detachment without symptoms serious?
When should you seek medical attention for a detached retina?
What is retinal detachment?
What causes a detachment of the retina?
What causes the retina to pull away from the back of the eye?
What happens to the vitreous as you age?
How many different types of retinal detachment are there?
What is the name of the disease that causes the retina to thinning?
What does it mean when you see black specks?
See more
About this website

What are the warning signs of a detached retina?
Detached retina (retinal detachment)dots or lines (floaters) suddenly appear in your vision or suddenly increase in number.you get flashes of light in your vision.you have a dark "curtain" or shadow moving across your vision.your vision gets suddenly blurred.
What is the most common retinal detachment?
Rhegmatogenous retinal detachment is the most common type of retinal detachment. It can happen if you have a small tear or break in your retina. When your retina has a tear or break, the gel-like fluid in the center of your eye (called vitreous) can get behind your retina.
What happens when retina detached?
A detached retina occurs when the retina is pulled away from its normal position in the back of the eye. The retina sends visual images to the brain through the optic nerve. When detachment occurs, vision is blurred. A detached retina is a serious problem that can cause blindness unless it is treated.
How do you diagnose detached retina?
Retinal examination. The doctor may use an instrument with a bright light and special lenses to examine the back of your eye, including the retina. This type of device provides a highly detailed view of your whole eye, allowing the doctor to see any retinal holes, tears or detachments.
What do floaters in eye look like?
They may look to you like black or gray specks, strings, or cobwebs that drift about when you move your eyes and appear to dart away when you try to look at them directly. Most eye floaters are caused by age-related changes that occur as the jelly-like substance (vitreous) inside your eyes becomes more liquid.
How long does it take for retinal detachment to occur?
The rate of progression of a retinal detachment can vary from days to weeks depending on many factors such as patient age as well as the size and the number of retinal tears. Gradual loss of peripheral vision in the form of a shadow, curtain, or cloud (this corresponds to the retina detaching.)
How many eye floaters is normal?
Eye floaters are small spots or squiggles that move around in your field of vision. If your field of vision has always been clear and you notice these spots seemingly out of the blue, you may wonder “are eye floaters normal?” Eye floaters are surprisingly common, affecting about 7 out of 10 people.
Can retinal detachment heal on its own?
A detached retina won't heal on its own. It's important to get medical care as soon as possible so you have the best odds of keeping your vision. Any surgical procedure has some risks.
What do flashes in vision look like?
Flashes can be described in several ways, including seeing: A bright spot or streak of light. A jagged light that looks like lightening. Bursts of light that look like fireworks or camera flashes.
How long can retinal detachment go untreated?
A retinal detachment may cause permanent blindness over a matter of days and should be considered an eye emergency until evaluated by a retina specialist.
Why am I seeing flashes of light in the corner of my eye?
Vitreous humor is a gel-like substance that fills the majority of your eyeball. This gel allows light to enter the eye via the lens, and it is connected to the retina. If vitreous gel bumps or pulls on the retina, you may see flashes of light in the corner of your eye.
Can an eye test detect a detached retina?
Dilation Tests Are An Important Detection Tool for Retinal Detachments. If you notice floaters in your eyes, they could be signs of tears to the retina. Retinal tears can lead to retinal detachments, so detecting them far in advance will allow you to treat the problem with less drastic measures.
What are the three types of retinal detachment?
There are three main types of retinal detachment:Rhegmatogenous. This is the most common kind. ... Tractional. This type happens when scar tissue pulls on your retina, usually because diabetes has damaged the blood vessels in the back of your eye.Exudative.
Who is at a higher risk for retinal detachment?
Risk factors Aging — retinal detachment is more common in people over age 50. Previous retinal detachment in one eye. Family history of retinal detachment. Extreme nearsightedness (myopia)
How common is retinal detachment in both eyes?
Bilateral simultaneous, retinal detachment has an annual incidence of 0.35 patients per 100 000 population. They are more likely to occur in young, myopic, or male patients and tend to present with unilateral visual symptoms.
Does retinal detachment happen suddenly?
Retinal detachment often happens spontaneously, or suddenly. The risk factors include age, nearsightedness, history of eye surgeries or trauma, and family history of retinal detachments. Call your eye care provider or go to the emergency room right away if you think you have a detached retina.
Retinal Detachment: Symptoms, Signs, Causes & Treatment
Retinal detachment occurs when the retina, the thin layer of tissue that lines the inside of the back of the eye, becomes separated from its underlying tissue. Normally, light entering the eye is focused onto the retina by the cornea and the lens.This causes biochemical changes within layers of the retina that stimulate an electrical response within other layers of the retina.
Retinal Detachment: Types, Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, and ... - WebMD
Retinal detachment is a serious eye condition that happens when your retina pulls away from the tissue around it. Learn more about the types, causes, risk factors, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment ...
What is retinal detachment?
Retinal detachment describes an emergency situation in which a critical layer of tissue (the retina) at the back of the eye pulls away from the layer of blood vessels that provides it with oxygen and nutrients. Retinal detachment is often accompanied by flashes and floaters in your vision. Retinal detachment describes an emergency ...
What causes a detachment of the retina?
Exudative detachment can be caused by age-related macular degeneration, injury to the eye, tumors or inflammatory disorders.
What causes the retina to pull away from the back of the eye?
This type of detachment can occur when scar tissue grows on the retina's surface , causing the retina to pull away from the back of the eye. Tractional detachment is typically seen in people who have poorly controlled diabetes or other conditions. Exudative.
What happens to the vitreous as you age?
As you age, the gel-like material that fills the inside of your eye, known as the vitreous (VIT-ree-us), may change in consistency and shrink or become more liquid. Normally, the vitreous separates from the surface of the retina without any complications — a common condition called posterior vitreous detachment (PVD).
How many different types of retinal detachment are there?
There are three different types of retinal detachment:
What is the name of the disease that causes the retina to thinning?
Previous other eye disease or disorder, including retinoschisis, uveitis or thinning of the peripheral retina (lattice degeneration)
What does it mean when you see black specks?
Having vision problems? Do you see black or gray specks, strings or cobwebs that drift about when you move your eyes? It could be eye floaters.
