Why retinal detachment occurs

You are at higher risk if:. There are many causes of retinal detachment, but the most common causes are aging or an eye injury. There are 3 types of retinal detachment: rhegmatogenous, tractional, and exudative. Each type happens because of a different problem that causes your retina to move away from the back of your eye.

But you can lower your risk of retinal detachment from an eye injury by wearing safety goggles or other protective eye gear when doing risky activities, like playing sports. If you experience any symptoms of retinal detachment, go to your eye doctor or the emergency room right away. Early treatment can help prevent permanent vision loss.

A dilated eye exam can help your eye doctor find a small retinal tear or detachment early, before it starts to affect your vision. 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. The doctor may press on your eyelids to check for retinal tears, which may be uncomfortable for some people. Retinal detachment is often accompanied by flashes and floaters in your vision. Retinal detachment describes an emergency situation in which a thin layer of tissue the retina at the back of the eye pulls away from its normal position.

Retinal detachment separates the retinal cells from the layer of blood vessels that provides oxygen and nourishment. The longer retinal detachment goes untreated, the greater your risk of permanent vision loss in the affected eye. Warning signs of retinal detachment may include one or all of the following: the sudden appearance of floaters and flashes and reduced vision. Contacting an eye specialist ophthalmologist right away can help save your vision.

Retinal detachment itself is painless. But warning signs almost always appear before it occurs or has advanced, such as:.

Seek immediate medical attention if you are experiencing the signs or symptoms of retinal detachment. Retinal detachment is a medical emergency in which you can permanently lose your vision. 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. As we age, this firm clump of jelly can liquefy and break up into smaller pieces. Retinal detachment occurs when the retina separates from the back of your eye. This causes loss of vision that can be partial or total, depending on how much of the retina is detached. When your retina becomes detached, its cells may be seriously deprived of oxygen. Retinal detachment is a medical emergency. Call your doctor right away if you suffer any sudden vision changes. Primary symptoms include:.

If you have a rhegmatogenous retinal detachment, you have a tear or hole in your retina. This allows fluid from within your eye to slip through the opening and get behind your retina. The fluid separates the retina from the retinal pigment epithelium, which is the membrane that provides your retina with nourishment and oxygen, causing the retina to detach. This is the most common type of retinal detachment. This is a less common type of detachment that typically affects people with diabetes mellitus.

Poorly controlled diabetes mellitus can lead to issues with the retinal vascular system, and this vascular damage can later lead to scar tissue accumulation in your eye that could cause retinal detachment. In exudative detachment, there are no tears or breaks in your retina. Retinal diseases such as the following cause this type of detachment:. Your doctor might also test the ability of your retina to send impulses to your brain. They may check the blood flow throughout your eye and specifically in your retina.

Your doctor may also order an ultrasound of your eye. This is a painless test that uses sound waves to create an image of your eye. In most cases, surgery is necessary to repair a detached retina. You can get a detached retina more than once. Get medical help as soon as possible if the symptoms come back. Page last reviewed: 16 December Next review due: 16 December Detached retina retinal detachment. Urgent advice: Get advice from now if:.

Other ways to get help Get an urgent optician appointment You can get your eyes checked at an optician.