Retina Treatment

Retinal disease is any condition of the retina that results in vision loss. The retina is a light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye. When light enters the eye, the retina changes the light into nerve signals. The retina then sends these signals along the optic nerve to the brain. The retina allows the eye to communicate with the brain, making vision possible.

Retinal disease can be caused by many factors.
Some of those include:
Diabetic retinopathy .

This is a potentially blinding complication of diabetes that damages the eye's retina. It affects half of all Americans diagnosed with diabetes. Diabetic retinopathy occurs when diabetes damages the tiny blood vessels in the retina.

Diabetic retinopathy often has no early warning signs. At some point, though, new blood vessels may bleed (hemorrhage) and blur vision. The first time this happens it may not be very severe. In most cases, it will leave just a few specks of blood, or spots, floating in the eye. These often go away after a few hours.

After a few days or weeks, the leakage of blood worsens, causing increasingly blurred vision. In extreme cases, a person will only be able to tell light from dark in that eye. It may take the blood months to clear from the inside of the eye. In some cases, the blood will not clear.

There are two treatments for diabetic retinopathy, laser surgery and vitrectomy, a procedure that removes the cloudy vitreous and replaces it with a salt solution. Both treatments are very effective in reducing vision loss from this disease, but they do not cure diabetic retinopathy. Those who get treatment before the retina is severely damaged, have a very good chance of keeping their vision.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

This disease is a common cause of vision loss among people over age of 60. It usually affects only central vision. AMD can sometimes make it difficult to read, drive, or perform other daily activities. There are two main forms of AMD. They are the wet and dry forms.

Some cases of wet AMD can be treated with laser surgery. The treatment involves aiming a high-energy beam of light directly onto the leaking blood vessels.

Retinal tears or breaks.

Small holes and tears in the retina are often treated with laser surgery or a freeze treatment called cryopexy. These procedures are usually performed in the doctor's office.

If not treated, retinal tears can cause retinal detachment, which can cause permanent vision loss if not treated promptly. Symptoms of retinal detachment include a sudden or gradual increase in the number of floaters and/or light flashes in the eye or the appearance of a curtain over the field of vision. Anyone experiencing the symptoms of a retinal detachment should see an eye doctor immediately.

Retinal detachments are treated with surgery that may require an overnight stay in the hospital. In some cases a tiny synthetic band is attached to the outside of the eyeball to gently push the wall of the eye against the detached retina. Early treatment can usually improve the vision of most patients with retinal detachment.

The doctors at Regional Eye Center have helped thousands of patients with retinal conditions maintain their vision. To make an appointment with one of our doctors, call 417-781-3630.