Retinal Detachment

Overview

Retinal detachment happens when the retina — the light-sensitive layer of tissue at the back of your eye — is pulled away from its normal position. Retinal detachment is a medical emergency. If you have symptoms of a detached retina, go to your eye doctor or the emergency room right away.

If only a small part of your retina has detached, you may not have any symptoms. But the symptoms of retinal detachment often come on quickly. If a retinal detachment is not treated right away, more of the retina can detach, which increases the risk of permanent vision loss or blindness.

Treatment for retinal detachment works well, especially if the detachment is caught early. Treatment is ultimately successful for about nine out of 10 people.

Signs and Symptoms

If more of your retina is detached, you may not be able to see as clearly as normal. You may also notice other sudden symptoms, including:

• A lot of new floaters, or small dark spots or squiggly lines that float across your vision
• Flashes of light in one or both eyes
• A dark shadow or “curtain” on the sides or in the middle of your field of vision

Seeing a few floaters in your vision is normal, but if you suddenly see many more floaters than usual, it is important to get your eyes checked right away.

Causes and Risk Factors

There are many causes of retinal detachment, but the most common causes are aging and eye injury. There are three types of retinal detachment, each with different causes.

Rhegmatogenous Retinal Detachment

Rhegmatogenous retinal detachment is the most common type. It can happen if you have a small tear or break in your retina. Gel-like fluid in the center of your eye, called vitreous, can get behind your retina through the tear and push your retina away from the back of your eye. Aging is the most common cause of this type, because the vitreous may change in texture and shrink over time, sometimes pulling on and tearing the retina. Eye injuries, eye surgery, and nearsightedness also increase your risk.

Tractional Retinal Detachment

Tractional retinal detachment happens when scar tissue on your retina pulls your retina away from the back of your eye. The most common cause is diabetic retinopathy.

Exudative Retinal Detachment

Exudative retinal detachment happens when fluid builds up behind your retina without any tears or breaks. Things that can cause this include:

• Diseases that cause inflammation of eye
• Tumors in your eye
• Coats disease, a rare eye disorder

Risk Factors

Anyone can have a retinal detachment, but some people are at higher risk. You are at higher risk if:

• The gel-like fluid in the center of the eye is pulling away from the retina (posterior vitreous detachment)
• You have nearsightedness (myopia).
• You have had an eye injury.
• You have had eye surgery or injections.

Prevention Guidance

You can lower your risk of retinal detachment from an eye injury by wearing safety goggles or other protective eye gear when doing risky activities, such as playing sports. If you have an eye injury, it is important to see an eye doctor to check for early signs of retinal detachment. Retinal tears are a medical emergency. If a patient develops new floaters or sees flashes of light in one or both eyes, they should seek immediate care in the emergency room rather than waiting for a routine eye exam.

Diagnosis

If you see any warning signs of a retinal detachment, your eye doctor can check your eyes with a dilated eye exam.

Treatment and Management

Depending on how much of your retina is detached and what type of retinal detachment you have, your eye doctor may recommend laser treatment or surgery. There are different types of surgery that doctors can do to fix a detached retina. The type of surgery you need depends on how much of your retina is detached and where in your eye it is detached.

Living With Vision Loss

If treatment fails to improve vision, ask for a referral to a low vision specialist. Vision rehabilitation can help you learn about strategies and devices to make the most of your remaining sight. Many community organizations and agencies offer information about low vision counseling, training, and other special services for people with visual impairment.

Clinical Trials

Clinical trials uncover better ways to prevent, diagnose, treat, and understand diseases and conditions. To ensure results apply to everyone, volunteers of all ages, sexes, and backgrounds, including both healthy individuals and those with specific medical conditions, are needed. Find clinical trials on retinal detachment.

Community Support

To learn more, visit:

• The Foundation: American Society of Retina Specialists

Note: This resource list is for informational purposes only. It is not comprehensive, and an organization’s inclusion does not constitute an endorsement by NIH. 

Research Information

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the largest public funder of biomedical research in the world. NIH invests most of its budget in medical research seeking to enhance life and to reduce illness and disability. NIH-funded research has led to breakthroughs and new treatments helping people live longer, healthier lives, and building the research foundation that drives discovery.

NIH-funded researchers are studying what causes retinal detachment and how to treat it better.

Find NIH-funded research projects using NIH RePORTER, a searchable database of current and past research projects supported by NIH and other federal agencies.