Common retinal diseases
Retinal detachment
Retinal detachment occurs when the retina separates from the back of the inside of the eye, rather like wallpaper peeling off a damp wall. Most people will experience warning signs as sudden appearance of floaters or a cobweb effect of lots of little floaters.
These signs indicate their retina is at risk of detaching before they lose their sight. Without prompt treatment, it will lead to blindness in the affected eye.
PVD (Posterior Vitreous Detachment)
The vitreous is a transparent gel which fills the back of the eyeball. With age, the vitreous gel shrinks and separates itself from part of the retina. Symptoms can be black floaters (e.g. little dots, lines or circles) in the vision.
There is no treatment for posterior vitreous detachment. However, as the symptoms are linked to those of a retinal detachment, a clinical examination by an Ophthalmologist is advised within a few days of the onset of symptoms.
Vitrectomy
The vitreous humour is normally a clear, transparent jelly-like substance inside the eye. It has no real function other than providing volume to the eye. A vitrectomy is a surgical procedure to remove the vitreous humour and is often part of another operation. For example, if you need a surgical repair to the retina because it has a tear or hole in it, a vitrectomy is needed for the surgery to take place.
Retinal Vein Occlusion
Retinal vein occlusion occurs when one of the tiny retinal veins becomes blocked by a blood clot. The blockage can causes blood and other fluids to leak into the retina, causing bruising and swelling as well as lack of oxygen. As a result, fluid and blood start to leak from the blood vessels, which can damage and cause swelling of the retina, affecting your eyesight.
Currently, there is no treatment that can reverse the blocked vein. The aims of treatment are to detect and treat any underlying risk factors for the condition and also to detect and treat any complications where possible.
Diabetic retinopathy
Diabetic retinopathy or ‘retinopathy’ is damage to the retina and is a complication that can affect people with diabetes. Retinopathy is the most common cause of blindness among people of working age in the UK. A delicate network of blood vessels supplies the retina with blood. When those blood vessels become blocked, leaky or grow haphazardly, the retina becomes damaged and is unable to work properly. Retinopathy is damage to the retina. There are different types of retinopathy: background retinopathy, maculopathy and proliferative retinopathy.
Hear expert eye surgeon Mr. Paul Rosen discuss retinal detachment
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