Nearsighted people over age 40 are at increased risk for retinal detachment. Symptoms can be so subtle they go unnoticed, but not treating it could lead to blindness.
If the retina remains detached for a long time, because the cells have died, it is often impossible to restore sight, even if physically, the retina is reattached successfully.
If only a small part of your retina has detached, you may not have any symptoms. But if more of your retina is detached, you may not be able to see as clearly as normal, and you may notice other sudden symptoms, including: A lot of new floaters (small dark spots or squiggly lines that float across your vision)
Many eye doctors agree that retinal detachment can lead to permanent blindness, but the timeline of how quickly it happens is difficult to determine. People can lose their sight within several hours of the detachment or within a few days.
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.)
If possible, the surgery should be done the same day if the detachment has not affected the central vision area (the macula). This can help prevent further detachment of the retina. It also will increase the chance of preserving good vision. If the macula detaches, it is too late to restore normal vision.
Retinal detachment diagnosis
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.
Dr. McCluskey also warns that a retinal tear can progress within 24 hours, though it varies from patient to patient. Therefore, anyone experiencing sudden changes of vision should call their ophthalmologist immediately, even during a weekend.
Can a detached retina heal on its own? Very rarely, retinal detachments are not noticed by the patient and can heal on their own. The vast majority of retinal detachments progress to irreversible vision loss if left untreated so it is important to monitor any changes noticed in your vision.
Retinal detachment itself is painless. But warning signs almost always appear before it occurs or has advanced, such as: The sudden appearance of many floaters — tiny specks that seem to drift through your field of vision. Flashes of light in one or both eyes (photopsia)
Like central retinal vein occlusion, peripheral retinoschisis shares similar indications with another condition. In this instance, it is that peripheral retinoschisis gets misdiagnosed as retinal detachment. In either condition, the retina may be elevated.
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.
Living with the effects of retinal detachment can be daunting at first. Treatment is available, but its success can depend on how quickly it happens – and how much damage has already occurred. However, most people live independently with a good level of vision following retinal detachment surgery.
Over a lifetime, about 3 in 100 people will experience a detached retina. That makes it much less common than major causes of vision loss, such as glaucoma and cataracts. But the consequences can be serious.
Your vision can then become distorted and blurred or you may develop a black shadow in your vision. This may start at the side and spread across your vision. Retinal detachment usually just affects one eye, but it can affect both. Most retinal detachments happen in people aged around 60.
Signs and Symptoms of Retinal Tears
Black spots in field of vision. Flashes of light. Blurry vision. Darker/dimmer vision.
While potentially dangerous on their own, retinal tears also often precede retinal detachment — an eye emergency that can lead to blindness. However, getting prompt treatment can keep a retinal tear from evolving into a detachment.
The most common causes of exudative retinal detachment are leaking blood vessels or swelling in the back of the eye. There are several things that can cause leaking blood vessels or swelling in your eye: Injury or trauma to your eye. Age-related macular degeneration (AMD)
A minor detachment may not be noticeable yet, but your optometrist will see it when examining your retina during a routine comprehensive eye exam. Once the detachment is more severe, patients notice: Obscured vision or shadows at the center or on the peripheral (sides) of the visual field.
A retinal tear may be accompanied by the sensation of flashing lights in the affected eye or showers of dark floaters and blurred vision. As the retina detaches it often causes a dark shadow, like a curtain or veil, in the peripheral vision, which usually progresses to complete vision loss.
Retinal tears and holes are quite common. In fact, they're found in about 10% of the population. A healthy, intact retina is essential for clear vision. When a crack develops in this thin tissue, it's known as a tear.
Joseph Pulitzer
The newspaper publisher behind the well-known Pulitzer Prize had a retinal detachment at the age of 42. Although blindness eventually meant the end of his 16-hour workdays, Pulitzer continued to manage the New York World newspaper from home up until retirement.
Retinal detachment causes blindness and affects approximately 1 in 10,000.
If you frequently experience stress you might wonder, can stress cause retinal detachment? The simple answer is no, stress cannot cause retinal detachment.
The initial symptoms of a retinal detachment are the same as a retinal tear or a posterior vitreous detachment, i.e. flashes and floaters; however, as the detachment progresses, a dark, opaque moon-shaped shadow or curtain will appear from one side of your vision.