What Is a Detached Retina?

What Is a Detached Retina?

A detached retina is when the retina lifts away from the back of the eye. The retina does not work when it is detached, making vision blurry. As we get older, the vitreous gel in our eyes starts to shrink and get thinner. As the eye moves, the vitreous moves around on the retina without causing problems. But sometimes the vitreous may stick to the retina and pull hard enough to tear it. When that happens, fluid can pass through the tear and lift or detach the retina.

Who is at Risk of a Detached Retina?

Patients who are at greater risk for detached retina are those who:

Are nearsighted and need glasses to see far away
Have had eye surgery such as cataract surgery
Have had a serious eye injury
Have had a retinal tear or detachment in the other eye
Have family members who had retinal detachment
Have weakened areas in their retina from thinning or degeneration

What are Symptoms or Warning Signs of a Detached Retina?

Sudden Flashes of Light. Some people say this is like seeing stars after being hit in the eye.
New Floaters. These can look like specks, lines or cobwebs in your field of vision.
A Shadow in Your Side Vision.
A Gray Curtain covering part of your field of vision.

A detached retina is a serious problem. If you experience any warning signs of a detached retina you need to have it examined immediately or you risk losing vision. Please call The Eye Care & Surgery Center at 592 Springfield Avenue, Westfield, NJ 07090 at (908) 789-8999, 10 Mountain Boulevard, Warren, NJ 07059 at (908) 754-4800 or 517 Route One South, Suite 1100, Iselin, NJ 08830 at (732) 636-7355, or visit The Eye Care & Surgery Center or Facebook.

The Eye Care & Surgery Center, an affiliate of Prism Vision Group, is located at 592 Springfield Avenue, Westfield, New Jersey 07090, 10 Mountain Boulevard, Warren, New Jersey 07059 and 517 Route One South, Suite 1100, Iselin, New Jersey 08830, and is easy to reach for patients from throughout central and northern New Jersey.