Are there black spots floating before your eyes? Let's learn about retinal detachment

Have you ever noticed small black dots, balls of thread, or spider webs floating in front of your eyes while you were sleeping? Or do you see flashes of lightning as if someone had fired a camera flash? While many people think these are normal things, sometimes they can be the first signs of a very serious eye condition. Today we are talking about such a serious, but painless condition. That is retinal detachment, or in medical terms, retinal detachment .

Simply put, what is retinal detachment?

Think of our eye as a camera. So, the retina is a very sensitive membrane like the film on the back of the camera. When the light from the things we see falls on the retina, it converts those light signals into electrical signals and sends them to the brain. Only then do we see an image. So the retina gets its nourishment and oxygen from the tissues underneath it.

Retinal detachment is when the retina separates from the underlying tissue that provides it with nourishment . It's like wallpaper peeling off a wall. When this happens, it loses its blood supply. This is a painless, but very serious condition . If not treated quickly, the retinal cells can die and cause permanent vision loss .

What are the main types of retinal detachment?

There are three main types of this condition, depending on how it occurs. Let's take a look at what they are.

What could be the symptoms of this?

Symptoms can vary depending on the size of the retinal detachment. If a small amount of the detachment is present, there may be no symptoms at all. However, in many cases, these symptoms can appear suddenly.

• Photopsia: A sudden, blinding flash of light in the eye.
• Seeing a lot of floaters: Suddenly seeing a lot of things like black spots, spider webs, or balls of thread floating in front of your eyes. (It's normal to see one or two occasionally, but if you see a lot of them all at once, it's a warning sign.)
• Loss of vision in one eye: A feeling of loss of vision in one eye.
• A black curtain falling in front of the eyes: A feeling as if a black curtain is falling down in front of the eyes.

If you have any of these symptoms, don't ignore them. It could be an emergency that could affect your vision.

Who is at higher risk for this condition?

Although anyone can develop this condition, some people are at higher risk.

• Aging: People over the age of 50 are at higher risk.
• Eye injuries: Accidents such as a hard blow to the eye.
• Family history: If someone in the family has had this condition before.
• Having had previous eye surgery: for example, after cataract surgery.
• High Myopia: For those who have a very severe condition of "seeing near, but not far".
• Other eye conditions: People with diabetic retinopathy or lattice degeneration.
• If the retina has previously detached in one eye: If this happens, the other eye is also at risk.

If you have any of these risk factors, it is very important to have your eyes checked regularly by an ophthalmologist.

How do you find this, Doctor?

When you go to the doctor, he will examine your eyes carefully. This is mainly done by dilating the pupil of the eye (dilated eye exam) .

What happens in this is that eye drops are put in your eye. In a few minutes, your black eye will enlarge. Then, the doctor can use a special instrument to see the retina inside your eye very clearly. This can help you see if there are any tears, holes, or detachments in the retina.

In addition, several other tests can be performed if necessary.

• Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) scan: This can take a 3D image of a cross-section of the retina.
• Eye (Ocular) Ultrasound Scan: If the retina cannot be seen clearly due to something like bleeding inside the eye, an ultrasound can be used to look inside the eye.
• CT scan: This is used to learn more about an eye injury.

What are the treatments for this?

Retinal detachment is a condition that can only be treated with surgery . The treatment method depends on the type of detachment, its size, and other factors.

If it's just a retinal tear:

If you find that there is only a crack before it can be repaired, you can glue it as if you are "welding" it before it gets bigger.

• Laser Therapy: Laser rays are used to create small burns around the crack, and the resulting scar seals the crack.
• Cryopexy: Extreme cold is used to create a scar around the tear and seal it.

If the retina is detached:

If there is a rescue, one or more of the following surgeries may be required.

What can you expect after surgery?

There may be some discomfort and pain in the eye for a few weeks after the surgery. The doctor will give you painkillers for that. You will also need to avoid heavy work, exercise, and driving for a few weeks.

• Eye patch: You should wear an eye patch for as long as your doctor tells you to.
• Head Position: Especially if a gas bubble is inserted, for it to work properly, it is essential to keep your head in a certain position for the duration prescribed by the doctor.
• Eye drops: Eye drops should be applied at the right time to help the eye heal faster and prevent infections.
• Vision: Vision begins to improve gradually about 4-6 weeks after surgery. However, it may take several months for full vision to return. In some cases, the vision may not be completely restored.

Be careful of these conditions after surgery

Even if the surgery is successful, in some cases, complications may occur. If you experience any of the following symptoms, inform your doctor immediately or go to the hospital's Emergency Department (ETU).

• If severe, unexpected pain occurs.
• If you show signs of infection, such as eye swelling and fever.
• If there is an unusual discharge from the eye.
• If your vision suddenly becomes worse .