What is the Retina?
The retina is the thin layer of tissue on the inside back wall of your eye. Its job is to receive visual information, organize the information and send it to your brain through your optic nerve.
Types of Retinal Diseases
Common retinal diseases and conditions include:
- Diabetic retinopathy – Damage to the blood vessels in the eyes, caused by diabetes.
- Retinal tear/detachment – A retinal tear occurs when the gel-like substance in your eye shrinks and tugs on the retina. Detached retina occurs when this fluid passes through the tear, causing the retina to lift away.
- Macular hole – A small defect in center of the retina.
- Macular degeneration – A breakdown of the center of the retina.
- Uveitis – A type of eye inflammation that affects the middle layer of the wall in the eye.
Signs and Symptoms of Retinal Disease
Many retinal disease causes commons symptoms, such as:
- Seeing flashes or floaters
- Blurry vision
- Distorted vision
- Problems with peripheral vision
- Vision loss
When to See a Doctor
If you have diabetes, you should have an eye exam every year to test for eye disease.
See an eye doctor right away if you have sudden floaters or flashes, or have lost any vision.
Treating Retinal Disease
Treatment of retinal diseases depends on the condition. Guthrie’s retina eye specialists diagnose and treat a variety of retinal conditions. Learn more here.
Make an appointment by calling 800-4-SIGHT-2 (800-474-4482).
Guthrie’s retina specialists diagnose and treat diseases such as uveitis, retinal tears and retinal detachments, and macular conditions.