Retinal Disorders

Wondering if you have retinal disorders? Well, retina is basically a thin tissue layer located at the interior part of the back wall of your eye. It consists of millions of rod and cone cells (light sensitive cells) which receive and organize visual information. The main function of retina is to convert light into electric signals, which are ultimately carried to our brain by our optic nerve. The final result is our brain perceives these signals as images.

Damage to your retina due to any genetic diseases, injuries or some other reasons are the prime origin of retinal disorders. Find out how to manage your retinal disorder!

What are retinal disorders?

A retinal disorder suggests that any part of your retina is affected, including macula (the central part allowing you to visualize the details). You might inherit retinal disorders from your genetic background. As most of the retinal diseases affect your vision and might even end up in blindness, it is crucial to treat these disorders in time.  

Types of Retinal Disorders

Retinal disorders can be of several types. For instance, some general retinal diseases include:

  • Retinal detachment
  • Retinal vein occlusion (both central and branch veins)
  • Central serous retinopathy
  • Retinopathy related to diabetes
  • Retinal tears or holes
  • Infectious retinitis
  • Inflammatory diseases like Birdshot chorioretinopathy

On the other hand, retinal disorders particularly affecting the macular are:

  • Macular hole
  • Macular edema, fluid build-up causing swelling
  • Macular degeneration with age
  • Macular pucker

Here are some of the retinal disorders which we often inherit, such as:

  • Usher syndrome
  • Retinal pigmentosa
  • Retinoschisis
  • Stargardt disease

How common in retinal disorder in the US?

Losses of rod and cone cells causing photoreceptor degeneration, glaucoma or retinopathy related to diabetes are common occurrences in the US. Studies show that nearly 11.8 million of the overall US population is suffering from eye diseases.

Common Signs and Symptoms

Some common symptoms of retinal disorders include:

  • Blurred or altered vision
  • Distorted vision where straight lines appear wavy or crooked
  • Vision complications, especially during the night or in changing light
  • Sudden loss of vision
  • Blind spots occurring in your central as well as peripheral vision
  • Eye floaters and flashes

Underlying Causes

When it comes to the causes of retinal disorders, there are a several reasons to blame:

  • Inheriting certain conditions like retinitis pigmentosa, Usher syndrome or Stargardt disease.
  • Inflammatory conditions, hypertension (high blood pressure), diabetes (high blood sugar) are some major causes damaging your blood vessels. As a result, these damage your retina, a condition known as retinopathy.
  • Eye injuries can lead to damaged macula or overall retina.
  • Surgical procedures might also be responsible for macular pucker.
  • Infections might sometimes lead you to retinal damage like cytomegalovirus retinitis.

Risk Factors

You might be more likely to develop retinal disorders due to factors like:

  • Smoking habits
  • Aging
  • Hypertension, diabetes or related heart conditions
  • Being obese or overweight
  • Have past records of eye injuries and optical surgeries
  • Previous retinal tears or detachments
  • Severe myopia, tendencies of near-sightedness
  • Genetic history of having retinal disorders
  • Side effects of certain medications
  • Ethnic background or sex in rare cases

Remember that untreated retinal disorders gradually lead to vision loss and ultimately end up in complete blindness. It is better to see an ophthalmologist once you start observing any symptom.

Diagnosis

An eye examination is the primary process of diagnosing your retinal disorder. This includes the dentist applying eye drops to make your eyes dilated. This helps them get a better look of your retina. Once your ophthalmologist suspects any issues with the retina, you are further referred to a retina specialist.

You will also require undertaking certain tests to check for or monitor retinal disorders. These include:

  • Fluorescein angiography, an imaging procedure visualizing your blood flow patterns with the help of a fluorescent dye
  • Electroretinography, a test to check the functioning of your retina
  • Genetic tests
  • Fundus autofluorescence, a non-invasive imaging procedure
  • Optical coherence tomography

If you find trouble to see things clearly, we are more than happy to help. Arrange an appointment with our optometrist and get early treatment.

Treatment

When it comes to treating retinal disorders, the treatment process varies according to the type of the disease. While some treatments slow down the worsening of the disease, some other treatments tend to completely stop the disease. Major treatments for retinal disorders include surgical options, laser treatments, medications or injections.

For instance, vitrectomy is a surgery effective in treating retinal disorders like:

  • Macular pucker
  • Eye injuries like invasion of foreign substances into the eye
  • Eye infections
  • Macular hole
  • Retinal detachments

Injections can again manage the following retinal conditions such as:

  • Advanced diabetic retinopathy
  • Eye infections
  • Inflammatory eye problems
  • Macula edema
  • Wet age related macular degeneration (Wet AMD)

Laser treatments are again effective for conditions like:

  • Retinal tears
  • Macular edema
  • Central serous retinopathy
  • Unwanted growth of blood vessels

Retinal detachment can also be treated with:

  • Scleral buckle surgery
  • Cryoplexy
  • Pneumatic retinopexy

Antibacterial, antiviral or antifungal drugs are also used to treat different retinal conditions.

Side Effects and Complications

Among the major side effects associated with retinal disorder treatments are surgical risks like:

  • Scarring
  • Infection
  • Blurred vision
  • Dry eyes
  • Decreased vision
  • High or low pressure in the eye
  • Bleeding

Recovery Time

The recovery time varies according to the type of treatment you are going through. For example, a gas bubble in the eye requires several weeks to heal. On the other hand, if you are getting an injection in your eye, it does not really have a recovery time but just need rest and avoid rubbing eyes.

Reducing the Risks

You can’t actually prevent retinal disorders, but lower your chances of getting it by:

  • Managing chronic hypertension, diabetes or obesity
  • Get routine eye check-ups
  • Use protective guard for your eyes during contact sports

Summary

An overall idea of retinal disorders allows you stay informed about the origin of the disease, symptoms and many more. It also makes way for your early diagnosis. Contact our ophthalmologists at Vision Cure Clinic to find out exceptional solutions if you are a victim of retinal disorder.

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