RETINAL DETACHMENT

Retinal detachment occurs when the retina becomes separated from the nerve tissues and blood supply underneath it. While painless, visually this has a clouding effect that has been likened to a gray curtain moving across the field of vision.
Retinal detachment is a treatable condition, but it must be taken care of promptly, or it can cause vision loss and in the worst cases, blindness.

What Causes Retinal Detachment?
Retinal detachment usually happens due to an exceptionally thin or damaged retina allowing eye fluid to enter it. As fluid gets in, it pushes the retina away from the supportive tissue underneath it, causing separation, and eventually, detachment.
The detached portion of the retina is no longer able to properly transmit light signals to the brain.  Vision can also be disrupted by retinal blood vessels that leak fluid into the inner portion of the eye where vitreous, or gel-like like fluid would normally be. If the retinal detachment progresses into the macula, or central part of the retina, the impact on vision can become more severe.

Symptoms of Retinal Detachment:
An eye care professional can determine retinal detachment through a number of retinal and pupil response tests, ranging from simple visual acuity testing to an ultrasound of the eye.
For the patient, the gray curtain mentioned above occurs after retinal detachment has already begun. Before this happens, there are signs and symptoms that can alert one to the possible onset of retinal detachment, including:
Eye floaters accompanied by eye flashes
Sudden onset of blurred vision
Shadows or blind spots in the field of vision.

Op.Dr. Ahmet UMAY
Bristol University
Ophtalmology Section / UK

Resource :
Bausch+Lomb