Ask a doctor - How does a retina get detached?

Q. How does a retina get detached?

Doctor Answer is medically reviewed by SecondMedic medical review team.

Answered by Secondmedic Expert

A detached retina occurs when the thin layer of tissue that lines the inside of your eye (the retina) separates from its underlying supportive layers. Retinal detachment is a serious problem because it can cause permanent vision loss if not treated in time. The most common cause of retinal detachment is aging and posterior vitreous detachment (PVD). As we age, PVD can occur causing fluid to fill in the space between the vitreous body and retina. This fluid buildup causes stress on the optic nerve resulting in tiny tears in it, called retinal breaks or lattice degeneration. When these detachments become larger and more numerous, they create areas where the retinal layers can pull away from each other leading to a full-fledged detachment. Other risk factors for retinal detachment include family history, eye trauma or injury, high nearsightedness (myopia), previous cataract surgery, certain autoimmune disorders like Ehlers Danlos Syndrome or Marfan Syndrome as well as inflammation behind your eyeball called uveitis or iritis. Symptoms of a detached retina include experiencing flashes of light further out from central vision than is normal, sudden onset floaters (with less chance being related to PVD), blurred vision which eventually progresses to tunnel vision if untreated and/or darkened areas within sight with irregular borders..

If you suspect that you have a detached retina then it's important to seek immediate medical attention so that you don't suffer any permanent damage due to delay in treatment!