Diagnosis. A retinal detachment is diagnosed by a comprehensive eye examination with an optometrist or ophthalmologist. Your eye health professional may dilate (enlarge) your pupils using eye drops to examine the retina at the back of your eye.
Our optometrist can diagnose retinal detachment using two tests. The first is a retinal exam. During this exam, we will use a special lens and a bright light to examine your retina. This test allows us to check for retinal tears, holes, or detachment.
If you see any warning signs of a retinal detachment, your eye doctor can check your eyes with a dilated eye exam. Your doctor will give you some eye drops to dilate (widen) your pupil and then look at your retina at the back of your eye. This exam is usually painless.
To make a diagnosis, your ophthalmologist conducts a thorough eye exam and looks for abnormalities anywhere in the eye. The following tests may be done to determine the location and extent of the disease: Amsler grid test. Your doctor may use an Amsler grid to test the clarity of your central vision.
If you're experiencing symptoms, an optician should be able to confirm whether you have a retinal tear or detachment. They can make an urgent referral to a hospital ophthalmologist for specialist assessment and treatment.
If the detachment is relatively minor, causing a small hole or tear, the optometrist may recommend treating it using laser surgery or freeze treatment (cryopexy) that is done right there in the office. More serious retinal detachment requires surgery by an ophthalmologist.
If the damage is near the macula, one could notice various visual effects such as general poor vision, distortion of images such as straight lines appearing wavy, blurry spots in one's central vision, and/or vision with images appearing and disappearing. Typical symptoms of a damaged retina include: Dim central vision.
Symptoms. A patient with an acute retinal tear may experience the sudden onset of black spots or “floaters” in the affected eye. This can have the appearance of someone shaking pepper in your vision. Flashes of light (Photopsia) are another common symptom.
Cover one eye. Hold the grid about 10 inches away from the eye you are testing. Look at the center dot keeping your eye focused on it at all times. While looking directly at the center, and only the center, be sure that all the lines are straight and all the small squares are the same size.
Diagnosis. A retinal detachment is diagnosed by a comprehensive eye examination with an optometrist or ophthalmologist. Your eye health professional may dilate (enlarge) your pupils using eye drops to examine the retina at the back of your eye.
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.
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.
Yes, your eye doctor can see eye floaters during an eye exam. While most of the time floaters are harmless, sometimes they can indicate a serious, sight-threatening eye problem – such as retinal detachment.
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. Most retinal detachments occur suddenly and can threaten the central vision within hours or days.
As we age, our vision will naturally decline. However, not all vision issues are normal. Retinal disease, in particular, affects over 200,000 people in the United States alone. If left untreated, retina problems can lead to blindness.
Retinoschisis. Sometimes, patients who were told that they have a retinal detachment actually have a condition called peripheral retinoschisis. The reason why the two conditions can be confused is that both feature an elevated retina.
No pain is associated with retinal detachment, so sometimes people don't realize what is happening. If you experience any of these signs, consult your eye doctor right away. Immediate treatment greatly increases your odds of regaining any lost vision.
Aging is the most common cause of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment. As you get older, the vitreous in your eye may change in texture and may shrink. Sometimes, as it shrinks, the vitreous can pull on your retina and tear it.
Visit your medical optometrist for primary medical eye care, including eye medication prescriptions, monitoring and managing eye diseases, or emergency eye care services. Visit an ophthalmologist for interventions like surgical treatments for serious eye diseases, advanced ocular problems, or refractive eye surgery.
The eye is a beautiful organ, and it is the only place in the human body where a doctor can see a part of the central nervous system, the optic nerve. The observation of that nerve is a crucial part of a comprehensive eye examination.
In most cases retinal damage cannot be cured without medical attention. If left undiagnosed and untreated, retina damage could result in permanent blindness. So, any abnormality in your vision should be considered as an emergency and you should immediately contact an eye specialist.
If caught and treated early there could be little or no vision loss after the eye heals from being repaired. However, if the center of the retina (the macula) detaches, there is usually some permanent vision loss. If left untreated, a detached retina can cause total blindness.
Flashes in retinal detachment are usually split-second or few-seconds at a time. They can be like streaks of lightning, noticeable especially in a dark room. They can occur randomly at different times of the day. They can be quite alarming.
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.