The complex processes that enable vision involve some
relatively delicate tissues, including the light-sensitive tissue at the back
of the eye known as the retina. If this tissue becomes torn, you may experience
a number of severe visual issues, potentially including an eventual retinal
detachment and permanent vision loss.
You can protect your eyesight more effectively if you
understand what kinds of threats your retinas face, what trouble signs to watch
out for, and what kind of care to seek. Here are some essential points about
retinal tears and related retinal damage.
How the Retina Functions
The multi-layered tissue of the retina lines most of the
eye's interior surface. The retina contains numerous tiny nerve cells called
rods and cones. When incoming light passes through the lens of the eye, it
strikes the retina and causes these cells to transmit visual data to the optic
nerve, which in turn relays them to the brain.
The cones tend to occupy a zone of the retina called the
macula, conveying the data that provide crisp, clear central vision under
bright conditions. The rods extend outward from this zone, receiving the
signals that make up your peripheral and low-light vision.
How Retinal Tears Happen
A clear, gelatinous fluid known as the vitreous fills the
inner globe of the eye and rests against the retinal wall. With age, however,
this fluid tends to change in consistency, becoming more liquid in nature and
hosting stringy filaments. These bits of debris create the spots or shapes many
people perceive as floaters.
As the vitreous loses its gelatinous nature and shrinks, it
pulls away from the retina. Occasionally this tugging action can cause a tear
in the retinal wall. In some cases, blood vessels may also become torn, leaking
into the eye or behind the retinal wall.
What Retinal Tears Do to Your Vision
When a retinal tear occurs, you may experience a sudden
onset of floaters or flashes (sparkles of bright light). With luck, these
symptoms may subside on their own over time as the retinal tear manages to heal
itself.
A retinal tear that doesn't succeed in healing itself may
grow progressively larger if untreated. This progress, coupled with ongoing
bleeding behind the retina, can eventually cause part of the retinal wall to
detach from the inner surface of the eye. A detached retina may appear as a
dark curtain across your vision.
How Ophthalmologists Treat Retinal Tears
Age-related floaters and flashes represent a relatively
common problem, especially in middle-aged or senior individuals. An
ophthalmologist can inspect your retinas for any signs of tears. Small tears
may require no treatment apart from ongoing monitoring through regular eye
exams.
Retinal tears that appear to present a danger to your
eyesight require immediate treatment to keep them from growing into full-scale
detachments. Laser treatment can stop small tears by creating scar tissue on
the tear's edges and preventing further damage or blood leakage. Extreme cold
can accomplish similar results.
Your ophthalmologist may also decide that you need for fluid
in your eye to counteract shrinking of the vitreous and prevent future tears.
An injection of clear silicon can take the place of your natural vitreous if
necessary.
If your retinal tear progresses to the detachment stage, you
may need more invasive surgery to repair this kind of damage and remove the
fluid trapped behind the retinal wall. Fortunately, ophthalmologists can
usually successfully reattach detached retinas with timely diagnosis and
treatment.
If you suspect that you may have a retinal tear, Calvert
Ophthalmology Center can evaluate your eyes and recommend the proper course of
treatment. Contact one of our ophthalmology
offices
today for an appointment.
