What You Should Know About Retinal Detachment
Every minute counts when a retinal detachment threatens your eyesight. The sooner you receive emergency treatment from an ophthalmologist, the less likely you'll be to face permanent vision loss. Learning about retinal detachment will help you spot common signs and symptoms that could mean that your retina has detached from the back of your eye.
What Happens to the Eye During a Retinal Detachment?
The retina covers the back of the eye and plays an important role in good vision. Light-sensing cells in the retina turn light rays into electrical signals that are sent to the brain. The brain uses this information to create the images you see.
A retinal detachment happens when some or all of the retina peels off the back of the eye. When the retina is no longer connected, it can't send signals to the brain. As a result, you may experience full or partial vision loss.
What Causes Retinal Detachment?
Retinal detachment usually happens in one of the three ways:
- Rhegmatogenous Retinal Detachment. Rhegmatogenous detachment is commonly caused by aging, according to the National Eye Institute. The detachment starts with a small tear or break in the retina. The vitreous, the clear gel-like substance inside the eye, oozes through the tear and pushes the retina away from the back of the eye.
- Exudative Retinal Detachment. In exudative retinal detachment, fluid buildup behind the retina causes it to detach from the eye. This can happen if you have an eye disease that causes leaky blood vessels or inflammation, have an infection or tumor, or had eye surgery.
- Tractional Retinal Detachment. Tractional retinal detachment happens when scar tissue forms on the retina. The tissue pulls on the retina, causing a detachment. Scar tissue formation can be caused by an infection, eye surgery, a previous tear or retinal detachment, eye injury, or an eye disease.
Eye surgery, age, infections, inflammation, and injuries aren't the only risk factors. High myopia (nearsightedness) may also increase your risk for retinal detachment. High myopia occurs when your eyeglass or contact lens prescription is 6 diopters (-6.00) or higher, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology. The risk of developing retinal detachment increases by five or six times in people with high myopia, according to an article published in Community Eye Health Journal in 2019.
How Can I Tell If I Have a Detached Retina?
You may notice one or more of these signs if you have a detached retina:
- Sudden Loss of Vision. You may notice a dark or blind spot in your vision when the retina detaches.
- Floaters. Floaters are wispy shadows, strings or shapes that float through your field of vision. They form when strands of protein clump together and begin to drift within the vitreous of the eye. Although floaters aren't usually a cause for concern, the sudden appearance of many floaters can be a sign of a retinal detachment.
- Flashes. Flashes of light can happen as the retina detaches.
- Vision Changes. A retinal detachment may make your vision look blurry or distorted.
A retinal detachment is a medical emergency that requires prompt treatment. If you notice any of these symptoms, go to the emergency room immediately.
How Are Retinal Detachments Treated?
Reattaching the retina may restore lost vision if you have a detached retina. Your ophthalmologists might use one of these procedures to treat your retinal detachment:
- Laser Surgery. Laser light seals tears in the retina and creates tiny scars that reattach the retina.
- Cryopexy. A freezing probe seals tears or holes and creates scars that reattach the retina.
- Vitrectomy. Removing the vitreous reduces pulling on the retina and allows it to settle into place. The vitreous is replaced with an oil, air, or gas bubble. In some cases, cryopexy or laser surgery might also be needed to reattach the retina.
- Pneumatic Retinopexy. Your ophthalmologist creates a bubble in your eye that pushes the retina back into place. Following pneumatic retinopexy, laser surgery, or cryopexy may also be used.
- Scleral Buckle. A band attached to the sclera (white part of the eye) moves the retina back into place. Scleral buckling may be combined with laser surgery or cryopexy.
Regular eye exams help your ophthalmologist spot weak spots in the retina or diagnose eye diseases that could increase your risk for retinal detachment. Has it been a while since your last exam? Contact our office to schedule an appointment.
Sources:
American Academy of Ophthalmology: Detached Retina, 12/4/2025
https://www.aao.org/eye-health/diseases/detached-torn-retina
American Academy of Ophthalmology: Nearsightedness: What Is Myopia, 1/12/2026
https://www.aao.org/eye-health/diseases/myopia-nearsightedness
PubMed: Community Eye Health Journal: High Myopia and Its Risks, 5/13/2019
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6688422/
National Eye Institute: Retinal Detachment, 11/5/2025
https://www.nei.nih.gov/learn-about-eye-health/eye-conditions-and-diseases/retinal-detachment
American Society of Retina Specialists: Retinal Detachment
https://www.asrs.org/patients/retinal-diseases/6/retinal-detachment
National Eye Institute: Types and Causes of Retinal Detachment, 12/6/2024