Aging — retinal detachment is more common in people over age 50. Previous retinal detachment in one eye. Family history of retinal detachment. Extreme nearsightedness (myopia)
There are many causes of retinal detachment, but the most common causes are aging or an eye injury. There are 3 types of retinal detachment: rhegmatogenous, tractional, and exudative. Each type happens because of a different problem that causes your retina to move away from the back of your eye.
Lifetime risk of retinal detachment is about 0.1% and is higher in patients who are older, have high myopia (nearsightedness greater than –6.0 diopters), have a history of ocular trauma or prior eye surgery, or a family history of retinal detachment.
Aging and Retinal Detachment
Retinal detachment is more common in people age 50 and over. The average age of retinal detachment diagnosis in the United States is 57 for males and 62 for females, according to the American Optometric Association.
Usually, it takes three months after seeing a first “floater” for the vitreous to detach from the retina completely. Retinal detachment is more common in people over age 40. But it can happen at any age.
Many eye doctors agree that retinal detachment can lead to permanent blindness, but the timeline of how quickly it happens is difficult to determine. People can lose their sight within several hours of the detachment or within a few days.
Although retinal detachment is rare, affecting 1 in 10,000 Australians every year, the consequences can be catastrophic loss of sight, so if you have symptoms of retinal detachment, such as sudden onset of floaters or flashes, you should contact an eye specialist (ophthalmologist) or your doctor immediately.
If you frequently experience stress you might wonder, can stress cause retinal detachment? The simple answer is no, stress cannot cause retinal detachment.
Flashes and floaters may occur in the affected eye a few days or weeks before the loss of vision. This is due to vitreous degeneration and its traction on the retina. Inferior retinal detachments can often be silent and slowly progressive so that the onset of RD goes unnoticed until it reaches the posterior pole.
Dark green leafy vegetables such as Spinach, Kale Mustard Greens, Collard Greens, Chard are rich source of lutein and zeaxanthin. Besides, add Vitamin C rich fruits like oranges, sweetlime, grapes etc as well. Nuts are also abundant source of Vitamin E like walnut, almonds, hazelnuts etc.
Can a detached retina heal on its own? Very rarely, retinal detachments are not noticed by the patient and can heal on their own. The vast majority of retinal detachments progress to irreversible vision loss if left untreated so it is important to monitor any changes noticed in your vision.
For example, one of the risk factors for cataracts is sun exposure; so, wearing sunglasses is one way to reduce the risk of getting cataracts. Retinal detachment is a condition for which preventive measures do not exist.
Some may think that vitreous detachment, or the little dark floaters in your vision, are caused by dry eye because the conditions share some common risk factors. However, there isn't any evidence that points to dry eyes causing vitreous detachment.
High blood pressure can't directly cause retinal detachment. But if you have high blood pressure, you are at a higher risks of retinal detachment.
The most severe effects of alcohol dependency can induce permanent retinal damage, central serous chorioretinopathy, retinal detachment, and even vision loss.
A minor detachment may not be noticeable yet, but your optometrist will see it when examining your retina during a routine comprehensive eye exam. Once the detachment is more severe, patients notice: Obscured vision or shadows at the center or on the peripheral (sides) of the visual field.
Retinal detachment is one of the better known ophthalmic problems. It is a reasonably common, and treatable, cause of visual loss. The diagnosis must be considered by GPs when patients present with the sudden onset of flashes, floaters and visual loss.
Living with the effects of retinal detachment can be daunting at first. Treatment is available, but its success can depend on how quickly it happens – and how much damage has already occurred. However, most people live independently with a good level of vision following retinal detachment surgery.
If possible, the surgery should be done the same day if the detachment has not affected the central vision area (the macula). This can help prevent further detachment of the retina. It also will increase the chance of preserving good vision. If the macula detaches, it is too late to restore normal vision.
Aging is the most common cause of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment. As you get older, the vitreous in your eye may change in texture and may shrink. Sometimes, as it shrinks, the vitreous can pull on your retina and tear it.
Citrus fruits and other fruits rich in vitamin C like cantaloupe, strawberries, kiwi, mango, papaya may be helpful for maintaining connective retinal tissues that diabetic eye disease damages.