What are the causes and symptoms of retinal detachment?
Several conditions may cause retinal detachment: • Scarring or shrinkage of the vitreous can pull the retina inward. • Small tears in the retina allow liquid to seep behind the retina and push it forward. • Injury to the eye can simply knock the retina loose. • Bleeding behind the retina, most often due to diabetic retinopathy or injury, can push it forward. • Retinal detachment may be spontaneous. This occurs more often in the elderly or in very nearsighted (myopic) eyes. • Cataract surgery causes retinal detachment 2% of the time. • Tumors can cause the retina to detach. Retinal detachment will cause a sudden defect in vision. It may look as if a curtain or shadow has just descended before the eye. If most of the retina is detached, there may be only a small hole of vision remaining. If just a part of the retina is involved, there will be a blind spot that may not even be noticed. It is often associated with floaters–little dark spots that float across the eye and can be mistaken fo
