Finally, the doctor will use special eye drops to dilate (open) your pupils so he or she can examine the inside of your eye, including the retina. Next, your doctor will examine your eye, and will test how well you can see and your peripheral vision (side vision). Loss of peripheral vision (the curtain effect)Īfter reviewing your symptoms, your doctor will ask about your medical history, especially any history of cataract surgery, nearsightedness, and diabetes or eye trauma.Brief, bright flashes of light - These flashes may be most noticeable when you move your eyes in the dark.These are actually red blood cells because all retinal tears bleed a little when they occur. Most worrisome is a shower of black dots. The sudden appearance of 'floaters' (dark, semi-transparent, floating shapes) in the field of vision.Symptoms of a detached retina may include: Eventually, the leaking vitreous fluid gets behind the retina, separating the retina from other layers of the eye.

Eventually, the leaking vitreous fluid gets behind the retina, separating the retina from other layers of the eye.Īlthough there are several types of retinal detachment, the most common one starts when a tear or hole develops in the retina, and some of the gel-like substance that fills the inside of the eye (vitreous fluid) leaks through the opening. Other symptoms of retinal detachment may include floating shapes in the field of vision or brief flashes of light.Īlthough there are several types of retinal detachment, the most common one starts when a tear or hole develops in the retina, and some of the gel-like substance that fills the inside of the eye (vitreous fluid) leaks through the opening. However, if the area of detachment is closer to the outer edges of the retina, then the visual loss may be more like a curtain being drawn over one side of the visual field (the 'curtain effect').

For example, if the retina detaches near the macula, the part of the eye that is responsible for the center of the visual field (reading for instance), then there may be a sudden, significant blurring or loss of vision. Without this nourishment and support, the retina does not function properly, and this can cause a variety of visual symptoms. When the retina separates from the deeper layers of the eyeball that normally support and nourish it, the retina is said to be detached. The retina is the light-sensitive layer at the back of the eye that converts light images into nerve impulses that are relayed to the brain to produce sight.

Eye detached retina symptoms