The retina, which is glued to the inner back wall of the eye, is made of light-sensing tissue. This sensory membrane converts light rays intoimpulses, relaying images to the brain. A healthy retina is important for reading, driving, and seeing fine details. Damage to the retina can cause sight impairment or loss of vison, which can severely affect your quality of life.
Retina damage may include retinal detachment, retinal displacement, or other retina conditions. The causes may be related to injury, age, family history, lifestyle choices, or a medical condition. Damage to the retina may be painless, so it’s important to watch out for the following signs for proper diagnosis and treatment before it advances and becomes serious.
Since the retina is a light-sensitive membrane that is responsible for triggering impulses to the brain for image creation, any problem with the vision can be a warning signal of retina damage. Here are some of the common signs of retina damage:
- Appearance of floaters: These are spots or specs in your sight that you may see floating through your range of vision.
- Blurry vision
- Distorted vision: An example of this is seeing the straight edge of a table and have it appear wavy.
- Flashes of light in one or both eyes
- Gradually reduced peripheral or side vision
- A curtain-like shadow in your vision
- Appearance of halo-like structures around light sources
If you notice any of the above signs or there is any abnormality in your vision, it’s best to seek immediate medical attention. Retina damage should be treated as a medical emergency and there is a chance that delays in treatment can result in permanent loss of vision.