Retinal detachment: what is important to know

Retinal detachment is a painless process. It can develop in a few seconds, or it can last for years. The main symptoms of this condition are:

• short-term flashes of bright light (lightning, sparks);
• floating objects or shadows in your field of vision (multiple eye floaters);
• blurred vision, and when the pathology progresses, a gray veil appears;
• narrowing of the field of view, loss of certain parts of the field of view;
• if there is a detachment of the central part of the retina (the macula), there is a significant decrease in visual acuity, distortion of objects or their complete loss from the field of vision.

Sometimes patients note that in the morning the symptoms are reduced or disappear. This is due to the fact that in a horizontal position, the retina returns to its place and the fluid is intensively absorbed. But still, in the afternoon, the symptoms will appear again.

The sooner the patient notices the symptoms of retinal detachment and goes to the doctor, the better prognosis of vision recovery can be expected. This is evidenced by recent data on retinal detachment in the macular area. The researchers found out that the restoration of vision in people whose untreated detachment time is 3 days or less have much better results than those whose detachment time is between 4 and 7 days.

So, if you or your relatives are concerned about the symptoms described above - do not hesitate, contact an ophthalmologist immediately.