Introduction
Retinal detachment describes the detachment of the inner layer of the retina from the so-called retinal pigment epithelium, which is the substrate. As a result, the light stimuli that hit the retina can no longer be processed. This leads to impaired vision. The retinal detachment is an emergency and should be treated surgically immediately, otherwise the eye may become blind. For this reason it is very important to interpret the symptoms correctly and to visit an eye clinic as soon as possible.
Overview of symptoms
The following symptoms may indicate a beginning retinal detachment:
- Flickering: Bright spots appear, which move up and down. They are caused by an irritation of the vitreous body at the retina.
- Lightning during head movements: The appearance of these flashes is caused by increased tension of the vitreous body at the retina. This traction is caused by a reduction in the size of the vitreous body from the age of about 40 years or by a sudden violent impact, such as an accident. The lightning can often be observed by those affected even with their eyes closed.
- Sooty rain: This symptom appears like black rain and occurs when a blood vessel is ruptured.
- Shadows: As soon as the vitreous body tears a hole in the retina, liquid can penetrate, which can be perceived as a dark curtain or shadow at the edge of the field of view.
The specific symptoms
Flickering of the eye is an early symptom. It is a visual phenomenon that occurs at the edge of the field of vision. Affected patients report that they see bright spots that move.
The flickering usually occurs suddenly and can become more intense as it progresses. The retinal detachment is usually caused by a tear in the retina. The reason for this is the detachment of the vitreous body.
The vitreous body is a jelly-like substance that fills the posterior chamber of the eye. The detachment causes a pull, which leads to a detachment of the retina. Consequently, light stimuli can no longer be processed properly.
Misinterpretations in the form of visual phenomena result. In addition to flickering, however, flashes of light and shadows can also occur. Furthermore, flickering can also occur in other diseases and is even more typical for them.
A classic example of this is migraine. Here, the cause lies in a misprocessing of information in the brain. A stroke can also lead to incorrect processing due to a circulatory disorder.
In addition to paralysis and speech disorders, visual disorders can also occur. But other eye diseases can also cause these symptoms. A poorly perfused retina due to diabetes mellitus, for example, can also trigger flickering and should definitely be clarified by an ophthalmologist.
Flashes of light (lat. photopsy) are a classic symptom accompanying a retinal detachment. The light flashes also belong to the early symptoms and should definitely be clarified by an ophthalmologist.
The detachment of the vitreous body (jelly-like substance in the eyeball) causes a pull on the retina, which leads to tears. Thus the retina detaches. In addition, the retina is irritated by the pull and visual phenomena in the form of photopsies are created.
Photopsies can also occur in the dark and are perceived as unpleasant by the affected patients. Other diseases should be considered in the diagnosis – especially neurological diseases should be clarified. A classic neurological disease in this context is migraine, which also manifests itself in the form of flashes of light.
The sooty rain is also a classic symptom of retinal detachment. However, it usually occurs later in the course of the disease. It is caused by injuries to the retinal vessels, which lead to bleeding.
In the course of a retinal detachment, these may tear due to the pulling. These fine bleedings are perceived as black dots moving in the visual field. Affected patients describe this as a kind of sooty rain or a swarm of flying mosquitoes.
The shadow is caused by the retinal detachment and leads to visual field loss. This means that special areas, such as the view to the top outside, are restricted. Due to the retinal detachment, the cells are no longer sufficiently supplied with oxygen and die.The processing of light stimuli can no longer take place – this results in a loss of function.
If one does not act immediately, irreversible blindness of the eye occurs. In addition to shadows, blurred vision can also occur. This is caused by a retinal detachment in the area of the macula. The macula is the place of the sharpest vision, because there are especially many sensory cells. The more sensory cells are lost, the further the vision is impaired.
