Retinal detachment in ophthalmology is treated like a heart attack in cardiology. It may cause loss of vision, and often develops without any noticeable symptoms. At risk are people over 50 years of age, people with diabetes, high myopia, atopic dermatitis, as well as those who were prematurely born. Retinal detachment is a dangerous condition that can cause a complete and irreversible loss of vision. Time plays a very important role – the sooner the disease is diagnosed the greater the chance of restoring complete or very good visual acuity. Therefore, we cannot ignore the signals that indicate that the retina has been damaged, but – unfortunately – such signals do not always occur.
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If any of the symptoms occur, contact an eye care professional immediately. It is a sign that a one of the vessels in the retina had burst. The patient sees flowing blood in the form of a black rain. The gap formed as a result of the vessel rupture makes it possible for the fluid that fills the eye to leak. The first symptom of detachment begins with flashes, which tend to occur during the day and night. The patient may also suddenly stop seeing to one side of the eye – as if a veil covered it (its size depends on how large is the chunk of retina that was detached). A detached retina occurs when the retina pulls away from the inside wall of the eye. When this happens vision becomes blurred, shaded or distorted. Left untreated, retinal detachment almost always causes permanent vision loss in the affected eye.