Your eye consists of many different parts that take in light and send messages to your brain. How well your eyes function, as well as the health of them, is dependent upon each of these components functioning accordingly. If one part of your eye has an infection or disease, you may have symptoms including pain and visual disturbances, like seeing halos. In some cases, it impacts your visual acuity. At Liberty Eye Care, serving the Athens area and surrounding region, we optimize both your vision and eye health, even if you have a vitreoretinal disorder.
Definition of Vitreoretinal
Vitreoretinal is a term that pertains to the vitreous fluid in the eye and the retina. This portion of your eye is inside, near the back. The fluid is a clear, gel-like substance that helps your eye maintain its shape. The retina, on the other hand, is the portion of your eye that receives light so your optic nerve may send the image to your brain. Your macula is the center of your retina. The macula is the part of your eye on which light focuses. It's responsible for making your vision sharp and clear.
Signs of Vitreoretinal Disorders
- Night blindness
- Floaters, spots, or flashes of light
- Loss of central or peripheral vision
- Distorted words when reading
- Straight lines appearing wavy
- Light sensitivity
Night blindness is a common symptom of vitreoretinal disorders. You might have floaters or see spots or flashes of light. Sometimes you see wavy lines in your central vision. Some people notice they start to lose their central or peripheral vision. You may lose your vision suddenly or see distorted words when you're reading. Sometimes individuals with a disorder that affects their retina or vitreous fluid have extreme light sensitivity.
Types of Vitreoretinal Disorders
Some of the main vitreoretinal disorders are macular degeneration, retinal tears, retinal detachment, macular holes, and diabetic retinopathy. You could have either dry or wet macular degeneration. Dry macular degeneration is the more common type and causes blurred or reduced central vision. It arises as a result of your macula aging. Wet macular degeneration, on the other hand, stems from abnormal vessels in your eye leaking fluid or blood. The liquid enters into your macula, which affects your central vision.
Retinal tears occur when the retina of the eye becomes torn. You may notice you have floaters or black spots in your vision. It increases the risk of your retina detaching completely, causing severe vision loss.
Retinal detachment happens when the retina separates from the tissue that supports it. Your retina plays a vital role in your vision, so it's possible to lose your vision if it detaches. You could have a tear, break, or hole that leads to detachment. It's also possible for an injury, inflammation, or other abnormality to cause it. However, the detachment won't cause physical pain.
You may have a macular hole, which is when the macula has a small break. If you have this issue, you may have blurred or distorted central vision.
Diabetic retinopathy is a condition that affects many people with diabetes. It's a problem caused by damage to the blood vessels in your retina. In most cases, this affects both eyes simultaneously.
Treatment for Vitreoretinal Disorders
In some cases, Dr. Eric is able to manage your symptoms with the use of corrective eyewear. However, as your condition worsens, you might need medication or surgery. You could need an injection into the vitreous of your eye to stop new, fragile blood vessels from forming.
We're also able to provide referrals for surgery to correct some vitreoretinal disorders. You may require surgical measures to repair a retinal hole or detachment.
Schedule an appointment with Dr. Selander, serving Athens and the nearby region, by calling (423) 436-8972.