However, occasionally, when the retina is torn, the tear can get larger causing a retinal detachment. Most of the time, the vitreous separates without tearing the retina. This is called a posterior vitreous detachment. This can happen with aging changes (earlier in near-sighted people) or with sudden trauma. The retina can become spontaneously torn when the gel or vitreous that sits over it in the eye slips off or separates from it. What happens if the retina is torn or detached? However, people notice them less over time since the brain starts to ignore them. These floaters will always physically be present and we do not generally treat floaters. A PVD by itself is not harmful, but can create chronic floaters that can be a nuisance. Most people only have a posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) without a retinal problem and just need to be checked with a dilated retinal examination. If it is torn, it will need to be lasered shut. When anyone has symptoms of floaters or flashing light sensation, it is important to check the retina to make sure it is not torn. Retinal tears can be pulled into a larger tear, or a detachment. This pulling can sometimes be traumatic to the retina and tear it. Sometimes, as it is peeling, it pulls on the retina and creates a flashing sensation (because the retina sees light when pinched). As we age, the gel becomes more watery, and starts to peel off from the retina. This vitreous gel sits right on top of the retina. The vitreous is the gel that takes up most of the space inside the eyeball. What happens when people get floaters or flashing light sensation?įloaters or moving black cobweb-like "strands" or "hairs" in the vision are a common symptom of a posterior vitreous detachment. The brain interprets the image so that we know what we are looking at. Pictures taken by our eye "camera" are imprinted on the retina and this information is passed onto the brain through a natural cable, the optic (eye) nerve. If you think of the eye as a camera, the retina is akin to the film in a camera. It is a very thin layer that is made of nerve tissue like the brain and spinal cord. The retina is the inside lining of the eye.
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