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  • Breadcrumb

    1. Home
    2. Health and wellbeing
    3. Illnesses and conditions
    4. A to Z

    Retinal detachment

    Retinal detachment happens when the thin sensory lining of your eye (the retina) begins to pull away from the back of the eye. It can cause blindness in the affected eye. If you suddenly have problems with your vision, you need to see a doctor urgently.

    Warning signs and symptoms

    The retina lies at the back of your eye and sends signals to the brain, allowing it to see.

    It is attached to blood vessels that supply it with oxygen and nutrients. Without a blood supply, the nerve cells die, which leads to a loss of sight.

    Most people will experience warning signs that their retina is at risk of detaching before they lose their sight.

    These include:

    • the sudden appearance of floaters – black dots, specks or streaks that float across your field of vision (usually only one eye is affected)
    • a cobweb effect of lots of little floaters, or a single large black floater that looks like a housefly
    • sudden short flashes of light in the affected eye lasting no more than a second
    • blurring or distortion of your vision

    Without treatment, sight in the affected eye will start to deteriorate.

    Retinal detachment usually only occurs in one eye.

    If your eye is affected, there's an up to one in 10 chance that retinal detachment will happen in your other eye.

    When to seek medical advice

    Contact your GP immediately if you get any of these warning signs. If this isn't possible, call GP out of hours service for advice.

    If you experience a sudden loss of vision or your vision gets worse suddenly, you will likely need immediate referral to a hospital to see a consultant surgeon in ophthalmology (eye specialist).

    If you can’t get through to a GP, contact urgent and emergency care services.  

    Treatment

    The quicker retinal detachment is treated, the less risk there is of permanently losing some or all of your vision in the affected eye.

    Most detached retinas can be successfully reattached with surgery.

    It can take months to fully recover from surgery on your eye. During this period you may have reduced vision.

    This may mean you may not be able to do some of your usual activities, such as driving or flying.

    Causes of retinal detachment

    Retinal detachment is most often the result of the retina becoming thinner and more brittle with age and pulling away from the back of the eye.

    As retinal detachment is associated with ageing, most cases affect older adults aged between 60 and 70.

    Retinal detachment caused by an injury can affect people of any age, including children.

    Driving

    If you have a retinal detachment, it could affect your ability to drive.

    If you've had or suffer from a medical condition or disability that may affect your driving you must tell the Driver and Vehicle Agency (DVA).

    • How to tell DVA about a medical condition

    •  

    More useful links

    • How to use your health services
    • Detached retina (retinal detachment)

    The information on this page has been adapted from original content from the NHS website.

    For further information see terms and conditions.

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