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Location: Eye Health >> Eye Conditions & Diseases >> Detached Retina
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Detached Retina
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The retina is the thin layer of nerve tissue lining the inside of the
eye that is light sensitive, acting like the film in your camera. Light
enters the eye and is focused on the retina by the crystalline lens. This
image is sent to the brain along the optic nerve to be interpreted. When
the retina becomes damaged or torn fluid can get beneath it, weakening
the attachment so the retina becomes detached, much like the peeling of
wet wallpaper from a damp wall. When this occurs, the retina cannot create
a sharp image from the incoming light and your vision becomes blurry or
darker. A retinal detachment is an emergency and can result in permanent
loss of vision if not treated promptly.
Retinal detachment can result from trauma, high myopia or from other ocular
diseases.
Flashes of light, new or increasing floating spots and/or a veil or shadow
spreading across the visual field. The patient may or may not have a decrease
in vision.
Treatment for retinal detachments range from laser or freezing treatments,
to surgery. Most people will lose all useful vision from the retinal detachment
if it is not repaired.
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