Take Charge of Your Health - World Sight Day - Retinal Detachment
The human eye will focus on about 50 things per second!
World Sight Day (October 13, 2022) is the perfect opportunity to take a moment to recognize the importance of eye health. Did you know that more of the brain is dedicated to vision than to hearing, taste, touch, and smell combined? According to Medical News Today, here's a quick refresher on how our system of sight works:
Light passes through the cornea, which is a dome-shaped structure. The cornea bends the light to help the eye focus.
The iris allows some of this light to enter the pupil.
Light then passes through the lens. With the cornea, the lens focuses the light onto the retina at the back of the eye.
The retina converts the light signal into electrical impulses.
Finally, the optic nerve carries the impulses to the brain, which processes the signals and produces the image.
Many have asked us about the retina and why a retinal detachment is so serious. The retina is a layer of tissue that normally lies smoothly and firmly against the inside back wall of the eyeball. Acting like film in a camera, millions of light sensitive cells in the retina receive optical images, instantly develop them, and send them to the brain to be seen. A detached retina occurs when the retina pulls away from the tissue which supports it. If any part of the retina is lifted or pulled from its position, it becomes detached and this detachment cuts off the retina from blood vessels that provide vital oxygen and nourishment to the eye. If untreated, a detached retina can cause permanent loss of vision in the eye, which is why it is such a serious condition.
Symptoms of a detached retina most often come on suddenly and can include: flashes of light, a high number of floaters or specks that drift across your vision, blurred vision, loss of peripheral vision, and darkening or shadowing of vision. People who are the most likely to experience a detached retina include: the elderly, those who are nearsighted, those who have experienced eye trauma or injury, retinal thinning, tears and/or eye surgeries, and those with a family history of the condition.
There are three primary types of detached retina: Rhegmatogenous, (which is the most common), Tractional and Exudative. With Rhegmatogenous, there is a small tear in the retina and fluid travels through the tear and pools behind the retina, detaching it from the back of the eye. Tractional often involves scar tissue and can result from diabetes when high blood sugar levels damage the blood vessels and cause scar tissue, which detaches the retina. With Exudative, fluid builds up, even though there is not a tear, and leads to the detachment.
An ophthalmologist will use dilation to examine the retina and determine the best treatment. Sometimes they will use Optical Coherence Tomography to scan the eye or do an eye ultrasound (especially if bleeding has occurred and it is hard to see the retina). Treatment for retinal detachment includes the use of a medical laser or a freezing tool to create a scar which seals the tear. This is called Laser Therapy or Cryopexy. If the detachment is not as extensive, the ophthalmologist may suggest Pneumatic Retinopexy. With this treatment a small gas or air bubble is injected into the fluid of the eye to close the tear. Another procedure, Scleral Buckling, places a band that holds the retina in place and then either Laser Therapy or Cryopexy is used. With a procedure called Vitrectomy, an eye surgeon removes the eye fluid and tissue that is tugging on the retina and then replaces the fluid.
Recovery from retinal surgery can take weeks and may require rest, pain medications, wearing an eye patch, and the use of eye drops. Most people notice their eyesight improving after 4 to 6 weeks but it can take several months to complete the healing process. It is important to take it easy while the eye is healing.
If you or anyone you love experience any of the symptoms of a detached retina go to the emergency department or an eye specialist immediately. Proper and immediate treatment can save your sight. The longer the retinal detachment goes untreated, the greater the chance of vision loss.