But what exactly is retinal detachment?
The eye disease in question is actually a detachment of the retina, or the retina, from the lower pigment epithelium. As the tears in the retina allow diluted vitreous fluid to enter the retina, it is lifted. These tears can be round or horseshoe-shaped, tiny or even long, slit-like cracks. This process can seriously impair vision, so it’s worth seeking professional help at the first symptoms to make sure you’re dealing with a retinal detachment.
Symptoms of retinal detachment
This eye problem initially causes sparkling vision, with bright, flickering spots or dark, fluttering blurs appearing in front of the eyes. If this phenomenon becomes more frequent or persistent, or even affects only one eye, you may suspect retinal detachment and should have an eye examination as soon as possible. In the meantime, you should avoid physical exertion, whether at work or in sport.
Later on, there will be a loss of visual field and a drastic reduction in visual acuity when the yellow spot area, which is responsible for sharp vision, is affected. The patient can then only see lights and shadows. Unfortunately, if the eye is not helped even then, complete loss of vision can occur.
Who is more often affected by this eye problem?
Highly myopic people are at a much higher risk of retinal detachment than those who are far-sighted or have good vision. In addition, symptoms are more likely to occur at an older age, but unfortunately the above group is an exception. Patients with less than minus 10 dioptres often develop the condition at a younger age, but it is very rare in children. In addition, some underlying conditions may also be associated with retinal detachment, which are discussed in more detail in the causes section.
What can cause retinal detachment?
The most common cause of retinal detachment is when there is some kind of mechanical damage to the eye. This can be any kind of accident, a bump, a kick or a strong physical stress such as lifting a heavy object, which, given the risk groups described above, can easily result in a tear in the peripheral part of the retina. In addition, this problem can often be attributed to diabetes, where the shrinkage of connective tissue extends to the retina. It can also be caused by ophthalmic tumours that affect the choroid, which have a tightening effect on the retina.
How is the disease diagnosed?
Retinal detachment can be detected by several methods. These include funduscopy, ophthalmography and visual field testing. While the former is done by dilating the pupil, the latter is not necessary at all. When the patient tells the eye specialist about his or her complaints, the eye specialist will already suspect that this may be the problem. He can even deduce where the problem may have occurred and where there may be a tear.
Treatment of retinal detachment
The sooner you see a specialist after you notice symptoms, the better your chances of recovery. Retinal detachment can always be treated surgically. Depending on the extent of the problem and the areas affected, there are several surgical options, depending on the results of the examination and the decision of the ophthalmologist.
If the surgical treatment of retinal detachment is done before the problem reaches the macular area, there is a very good chance of achieving perfect vision. In more severe cases, however, the surgical procedure is successful even if it achieves at least 40-50% vision.