Can an optometrist see a retinal tear?

Retinal tears can only be detected during a dilated eye exam by your ophthalmologist or retinal specialist. If you are experiencing any of the symptoms of a retinal tear, please contact your ophthalmologist or optometrist immediately by telephone.

Who can diagnose a retinal tear?

If you see any warning signs of a retinal detachment, your eye doctor can check your eyes with a dilated eye exam. Your doctor will give you some eye drops to dilate (widen) your pupil and then look at your retina at the back of your eye. This exam is usually painless.

Do Optometrists examine the retina?

This is very important in assisting your Optometrist to detect and measure any changes to your retina each time you get your eyes examined, as many eye conditions, such as glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and macular degeneration are diagnosed by detecting changes over time.

How do you know if you have a retinal tear?

Symptoms. A patient with an acute retinal tear may experience the sudden onset of black spots or “floaters” in the affected eye. This can have the appearance of someone shaking pepper in your vision. Flashes of light (Photopsia) are another common symptom.

What should I do if I think I have a retinal tear?

A retinal tear or detachment is a medical emergency and you should contact your doctor immediately if you develop any symptoms. During a visit to Associated Retina Consultants in Phoenix, our doctors will review your medical history and perform a thorough eye examination.

Retinal Detachment: Early Warning Signs Can Save Sight

What does your vision look like with a torn retina?

Flashes of light in one or both eyes (photopsia) Blurred vision. Gradually reduced side (peripheral) vision. A curtain-like shadow over your field of vision.

Can a small retinal tear heal itself?

A tear in the eye can lead to severe and often permanent vision loss. While relatively rare, understanding retinal tear symptoms can allow for prompt treatment. Tears will not heal on their own and, when left untreated, are likely to lead to additional and more severe tearing.

How long before retinal tear causes blindness?

A retinal detachment may cause permanent blindness over a matter of days and should be considered an eye emergency until evaluated by a retina specialist. Most retinal detachments occur suddenly and can threaten the central vision within hours or days.

How quickly does retinal tear progress?

The rate of progression of a retinal detachment can vary from days to weeks depending on many factors such as patient age as well as the size and the number of retinal tears. Gradual loss of peripheral vision in the form of a shadow, curtain, or cloud (this corresponds to the retina detaching.)

What is the most common cause of retinal tear?

Aging is the most common cause of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment. As you get older, the vitreous in your eye may change in texture and may shrink. Sometimes, as it shrinks, the vitreous can pull on your retina and tear it.

How is retinal damage diagnosed?

Your doctor may use an Amsler grid to test the clarity of your central vision. He or she will ask you if the lines of the grid seem faded, broken or distorted and will note where the distortion occurs on the grid to better understand the extent of retinal damage.

Do Optometrists diagnose eye problems?

Optometrists are eye care professionals who can diagnose eye disorders and eye diseases in their patients.

What can an optometrist detect?

Is a small retinal tear serious?

Retinal tears should never go untreated. That's because if fluid gets underneath the retina, it can encourage the retina to peel right off of the eye's wall. This is what we call retinal detachment, and it can cause serious vision loss unless treated immediately.

How common is a retinal tear?

Retinal tears and holes are quite common. In fact, they're found in about 10% of the population. A healthy, intact retina is essential for clear vision. When a crack develops in this thin tissue, it's known as a tear.

Is a retinal tear urgent?

If a retinal tear is present, it must be treated immediately because a torn retina can quickly deteriorate into a detached retina.

What happens if you don't fix a retinal tear?

Retinal tears deprive your retina of oxygen, which can lead to permanent damage and vision loss. However, the small tear can also allow liquid to seep under the retina, which causes detachment.

Can a retinal tear go unnoticed?

A retinal tear is a rip that occurs in the retina of the eye. This happens when the vitreous liquid pulls on the retina. A retinal tear will often go undetected without eye checkups and exams because its symptoms are painless.

Do all retinal tears lead to detachment?

Retinal tears are not as serious as retinal detachment, but they can lead to retinal detachment if they are not treated properly. Retinal tears most often form when the vitreous gel within the eye pulls on the retina and gradually weakens it. Retinal tears can also be the result of an eye injury.

Do retinal tears always need surgery?

If you have a retinal tear, you may need treatment to prevent a retinal detachment — a medical emergency where the retina is pulled away from its normal position. There are 2 ways that your eye doctor can fix holes or tears in your retina: Laser surgery (photocoagulation) Freeze treatment (cryopexy)

How long do retinal tears last?

For those that have recently undergone laser surgery for a retinal tear or detachment, the healing process could take anywhere from one week to four weeks. It normally takes a full week for the laser treatment to fully seal the tear and prevent detachment, but things can still go wrong once sealed.

Can you live with a torn retina?

Living with the effects of retinal detachment can be daunting at first. Treatment is available, but its success can depend on how quickly it happens – and how much damage has already occurred. However, most people live independently with a good level of vision following retinal detachment surgery.

What does retinal tear pain feel like?

A retinal tear doesn't cause pain, and you may not experience any symptoms at all. Some people who have an acute retinal tear see floaters — spots, blots, or lines — in the affected eye. Seeing floaters can be a common experience and doesn't necessarily mean you have a torn retina.

Is it better to go to an optometrist or ophthalmologist?

Visit your medical optometrist for primary medical eye care, including eye medication prescriptions, monitoring and managing eye diseases, or emergency eye care services. Visit an ophthalmologist for interventions like surgical treatments for serious eye diseases, advanced ocular problems, or refractive eye surgery.