Eye Disease Basics: Common Retinal Tear Symptoms
At Choate Eye Associates, Dr. Walter Choate and his team are devoted to providing patients with eye care of the most surpassing standard, helping them to maintain excellent vision and eye health for a lifetime. By encouraging patients to undergo routine and thorough eye exams, Dr. Choate is able to diagnose and treat eye diseases in their earliest stages, before they have a chance to cause irreparable damage to the delicate mechanisms of the eyes and negatively affect a person’s vision. He likewise educates his patients about the symptoms of common eye diseases so that they will know when to seek treatment and not hesitate to get the care they need.
For example, Dr. Choate is careful to discuss retinal tear symptoms during consultations at his Nashville, TN eye care center, especially among patients most likely to experience retinal tears. He wants patients to be able to recognize the symptoms of retinal tears because they are often subtle; yet, timing is of the essence when it comes to treating retinal tears and preventing retinal detachment.
If you are experiencing any of the symptoms described in this blog post, we urge you to schedule an appointment with Dr. Walter Choate at Choate Eye Associates immediately.
What Are the Risk Factors of Retinal Tears?
Because retinal tears do not cause pain, and the symptoms are generally subtle, it is important that you are aware of the factors that could put you at risk for retinal tears. These factors include:
- Being 50 years old or older
- Being extremely nearsighted, or myopic
- Having a family history of retinal detachment
- Having already undergone cataract surgery
- Having already experienced retinal detachment in one of your eyes
What Are the Most Common Symptoms of Retinal Tears?
The most common symptoms of retinal tears include:
- A sudden, dramatic increase in floaters in your vision. Floaters are the oddly shaped specks that appear to drift across your field of vision. Be particularly concerned if they appear larger than usual.
- A sudden appearance of flashes of light. If you normally experience these flashes, be concerned if they appear more frequently or if they gain in intensity.
- Diminished peripheral vision, as though a shadow has fallen over the corners of your eyes.
- The sudden appearance of a shadowy curtain that moves across the visual field.
- Diminished vision in general.
Although most retinal tears do not result in retinal detachment, it is highly important to ensure that retinal detachment is not on the verge of occurring or has not already begun. Retinal detachment can result in permanent vision loss, so it is not a good idea to take chances. By seeking immediate diagnosis of and treatment for retinal tears, you can help to preserve the health of your eyes and the integrity of your vision for years to come.
Learn More about the Symptoms of Retinal Tears
Don’t take chances with your vision. If you are experiencing any of the symptoms of retinal tears, or if you haven’t had an eye exam in the past two years, schedule your appointment at Choate Eye Associates today.