The duration of the symptoms
It is not possible to make a general statement about the duration of the symptoms, since it depends on the cause of the retinal detachment on the one hand and the extent of the damage on the other hand. A small tear in the retina can remain asymptomatic for a long time, whereas a tear in the macula (the place of sharpest vision) is quickly noticed and can quickly, within a few hours, lead to a loss of eye function. The faster one operates, the better the prognosis.
After a successful operation, symptoms such as flashes of light and sooty rain recede. However, blurred vision may persist – this depends on the location of the retinal detachment. If you have already undergone surgery and still have some symptoms, you should consult your eye doctor for more precise information.
When should I see a doctor?
If a flash occurs only once, this is still considered a normal natural process and is nothing to worry about. However, if suddenly and several of the above-mentioned symptoms occur, it is urgent to see an ophthalmologist within the same day, who must clarify the cause of the symptoms. In some forms of retinal detachment, only a shadow appears, but in the majority of retinal detachments, lightning occurs first, then the so-called “sooty rain” and then the shadows.
The “black sooty rain” is often confused with a harmless cloudiness floating around in front of the eye. These are point or thread-like or spiderweb-like clouding that move in the field of vision. These gray streaks occur in many people and are harmless.
They can be distinguished from the sooty rain by the fact that they resonate with the eye and, if the eye is then held still, they linger for a while. In order to be sure that it is only this harmless clouding, a retinal check should be carried out by an ophthalmologist. If the center of the retina, i.e. the point of sharpest vision (macula) is already affected, the increasing visual deterioration increases in such a way that only light and dark can be distinguished.
Therefore, quick action is absolutely necessary if a retinal detachment is suspected, because in the case of a retinal detachment, the retina is lifted from the choroid directly underneath it and thus the supply of the retina is interrupted. If this condition persists, the retina may suffer irreversible damage and blindness of the affected eye cannot be ruled out.