Retinal Eye Disease

A retinal eye disease is defined as any eye disorder that affects the retina. The retina is a tissue that is light-sensitive and lines the inner eye surface. When light hits the retina, nerve impulses are sent to the brain through optic nerve fibers. When the retina is compromised, it can cause severe vision problems in the forms of retinal eye diseases, such as diabetic retinopathy, retinal vascular occlusions, retinal detachment, age-related macular degeneration and retinal tears.

Diabetic Retinopathy

• Diabetic retinopathy occurs in some diabetics who have had high sugar levels for extended lengths of time. The earliest sign of diabetic retinopathy is the appearance of microaneurysms on the surface of the eye, which look like small, red dots. Although diabetic retinopathy will eventually cause vision problems, vision loss usually doesn't appear in the early onset of diabetic retinopathy. Treatments for diabetic retinopathy include laser treatment and vitrectomy, where scar tissue is removed surgically from the eye.

Retinal Vascular Occlusions

• Retinal vascular occlusions are blockages in the arteries that supply blood to the retinas. Symptoms of retinal vascular occlusions include vision blurring and loss of vision. Retinal vascular occlusions usually occur in only one eye at a time. Treatments include inhalation of an oxygen and carbon dioxide mixture prescribed by a doctor, or for severe blockages, a vitrectomy.

Retinal Detachment

• Retinal detachment is when the retina literally falls away, or detaches from the rest of the eye. Symptoms of retinal detachment include bright flashes of light, hazy vision and loss of vision in one eye. Treatment includes laser surgery, which can heal the tears in the retina, or retinal reattachment surgery, which creates a scar in the eye to seal the gap between the retina and the rest of the eye and to hold the retina in place.

Age-related Macular Degeneration

• Age-related macular degeneration, or AMD, occurs in many patients older than 60. In AMD, the macula, located in the center of the retina, begins to deteriorate due to age, causing vision loss and blurred vision. Laser surgery is the only available treatment for AMD and may not work depending on your age or the advancement of your disorder.

Retinal Tears

• Retinal tears occur when the retina begins to detach from the eye, but is not yet completely detached. Symptoms of retinal tears include flashes of light and eye floaters, where perceived specks occur in the field of vision. Retinal tears can be fixed with laser surgery, and should be repaired before the retina further tears from the eye, resulting in a retinal detachment.