Although India witnesses fewer than 10 lakh cases a year of retinal detachment, putting this concern under the ‘rare’ category, this particular eye concern requires immediate action and vigilance. The symptoms occur too quickly, leaving you little or no time to act on the situation, putting you at risk for permanent vision loss.
Some of the questions that may arise are: How is this possible? Are there any early warning signs? How do you treat it? Well, we are here to answer all of these questions and tell you some more.
How Does The Retina Detach?
The retina is the thin, light-sensitive layer at the back of your eyes. It takes in the light coming from the object and sends signals to your brain to turn them into accurate images.
Retinal detachment occurs when the retina is pulled away from its normal position. It separates the retina from the layer of the blood vessels, supplying oxygen and nourishment. As a result, the longer the period of detachment, the higher the chances of permanent vision loss. Thus making retinal detachment a medical emergency.
Types of Retinal Detachment
Your retina can detach due to multiple causes like tears, scar tissue, or a disease. Based on this, retinal detachment is divided into three types:
1. Rhegmatogenous Retinal Detachment
In this type, you have a tear or a hole in your retina. This allows the fluid to flow through the retina into the back of your eye. This fluid, in turn, separates your retina from the blood vessel layer that offers nourishment. Thus leading to retinal detachment.
2. Tractional Retinal Detachment
This occurs when there is scar tissue on the retina. When this scar tissue starts to contract, it may cause your retina to pull away, leading to detachment. It is a less common type of retinal detachment and typically affects individuals who have diabetes mellitus.
Why? A poorly managed diabetic eye disease might cause problems with the retinal vascular network. As a result of this vascular injury , there may be scar tissue buildup in the eye. This can eventually lead to detachment.
3. Exudative Detachment
Under this type, there is no damage to the retina [scar or tear]. Why does it happen, then? As a result of other diseases, such as:
- Cancer behind your retina
- Abnormal development in blood vessels
- Inflammatory diseases that may result in fluid accumulation
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Risk Factors
We understand that a scar, tear, or a specific disease may cause retinal detachment. It does not end here. There are some more risk factors. Here’s a glimpse:
- Family history of retinal detachment
- Serious injury in the past
- Past eye surgeries
- Extreme nearsightedness
- Aging
Early Warning Signs of Retinal Detachment
Retinal detachment is painless, making it difficult to identify. However, some of its early signs are very evident. They are as follows:
- Appearance of floaters. Floaters are basically tiny specks or squiggly lines that appear in your visual field.
- Flashes of light. It may be in one eye or both.
- Blurry vision
- Challenge in side visions
Treatment Options
The treatment option for retinal detachment depends on the concern you present with. Here’s a quick breakdown of the procedures and the reasons your eye specialist may choose them.
If you just have a tear in your retina but it is still attached as it should be, then a laser procedure called photocoagulation may be done. Another option for treating a tear is Cryopexy which involves applying a freezing probe on the outside of your eye over the tear site. The resulting scarring then holds your retina in place.
When a larger part of the retina is detached, then retinal detachment surgery needs to be undertaken. Here’s a summary:
| Pneumatic retinopexy | For minor tears | May happen in your doctor’s clinic |
| Vitrectomy | For larger tears | Outpatient surgery center |
| Scleral buckling | Severe retinal detachment | Outpatient surgery center |
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Wrapping Up
Retinal detachment is a very serious condition that demands immediate attention. Furthermore, the recovery from this concern depends upon two things — severity and how quickly you get expert care. The good part? Retinal detachment surgeries have a fairly good success rate.
If you or your loved one is experiencing any of the early warning signs, you must rush for an eye examination, by booking your appointment at Shree Ramkrishna Netralaya, one of the best eye hospitals in Navi Mumbai. The sooner you do it, the better care you can receive.