Retina Tear/Detachment

Retinal tears are tears that can happen in a thin layer of nerve that covers the inside of the eyeball. This thin layer of nerve, called the retina, functions similarly to the film of a camera. The eye focuses rays of light onto the retina which captures an image and transfers it through the optic nerve to the visual centers of the brain. The retina depends for its oxygen and nutritional supply on choroidal blood vessels that also cover the inner part of the eyeball. At some points in life, automatically or through trauma, this few-micron-thick layer of nerve can suffer damage in the form of a retinal tear. If not treated promptly, retinal tears can turn into retinal detachments which can separate certain layers of the retina from their oxygen and nutritional supply, potentially causing irreversible nerve damage and vision loss. Symptoms of retinal tears include flashes of light, floaters, and potentially loss of visual field. People that experience these symptoms should seek urgent consultation by an ophthalmologist to diagnose and treat potentially devastating retinal tears or retinal detachments. However, it is important to know that retinal tears can be completely asymptomatic.