I have never been one of those people who is overly concerned about my looks, but when it came time to decide whether or not to get glasses, I was mildly concerned about looking like a nerd. I didn't want to appear pretentious or weak, but I knew that I had to do something to fix my vision. I had struggled with eye problems for years, and I wanted to be able to see without squinting. After meeting with my optometrist, I realized that I was worried for no reason. I have been able to enjoy better vision because of my glasses, and I know that you can improve yours, too. Check out this blog for more information.
If you are nearsighted and over 50, then you need to learn the signs of retinal detachment and what to do if you experience these symptoms, because you are more prone to developing this eye problem than many others. While a medical emergency that must be treated quickly to prevent complete loss of vision in the afflicted eye, surprisingly, most people developing retinal detachment experience no pain in their eye. If you have had any eye surgeries or injuries in the past, then you are even more prone to developing this condition that needs proper treatment promptly. Read on to learn more about retinal detachment, the early warning signs you are developing it, and what your ophthalmologist can do to help you preserve your vision.
Types of Retinal Detachment & Causes
There are three types of retinal detachment: a rhegmatogenous detachment begins with a tear in the retina that triggers it to slowly begin detaching from the eye; a tractional detachment occurs when scar tissue on the retina contracts and causes it to begin detaching (this is rare); and exudative detachment, which occurs when excess eye fluid, called vitreous fluid, accumulates behind the retina, causing it to slowly detach.
Retinal Detachment Early Warning Signs
No retinal detachment occurs abruptly, and knowing the early warning signs that your retina is torn or about to detach can help you seek treatment before it detaches. While any changes in vision signal that you should visit your ophthalmologist quickly for an examination, the following are the most common signs that a retina may soon detach:
The most important fact to remember is that you may feel no eye pain at all when your retina is about to detach or has detached; don't take the lack of pain as as sign that you can wait until your next visit to the optometrist to find out what is going on with your vision, because by then, your retina may detach completely.
Retinal Detachment Treatment
Once you visit your ophthalmologist and report your symptoms, he or she will give you an eye examination to find the cause of your symptoms. If it is determined that you have a retinal tear that has not yet progressed to full retinal detachment, then you will need one of two short, non-invasive eye treatments to repair the tear. However, if your retina has detached, then you will need a more extensive surgery.
Procedures used to repair retinal tears include laser surgery and cryopexy. With laser surgery, a laser is to heat the retinal tear, which triggers it to repair itself by creating scar tissue. With cryoprexy, your retina is instead treated with a freezing probe that also triggers it to heal itself by creating a scar.
If your retina is detached, then an eye surgery center can repair your retina by performing one of several surgeries--you will have to have the surgery as soon as possible after retinal tear diagnosis to prevent complete loss of vision in the eye. Surgery options for retinal detachment all aim to remove the extra eye fluid that is pressing against your retina and causing it to detach, repair tears in your retina, and re-attach areas of your retina that have already separated from the rest of your eye.
If you are nearsighted and over 50, then you need to know the early warning signs and symptoms of retinal detachment so you can seek treatment before your vision is completely lost. Early surgical intervention at an eye surgery center is important, and the sooner your vision problem is diagnosed, the simpler the surgical procedure you will need will likely be.
For an eye surgery center, contact an office such as Dixie Ophthalmic Specialists at Zion Eye Institute.
Share20 December 2016
