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Other Retinal Diseases

Learn More About Retinal Disease

What is a Vitreous Hemorrhage?

The vitreous is normally a clear, jelly-like fluid that fills the inside of the eye. Various disease states can cause the vitreous to fill with blood so that light entering the eye will not reach the retina properly.

Vitreous hemorrhage, or bleeding, results in a sudden change in vision as it blocks light moving through the vitreous to the retina. This hemorrhage specifically occurs in front of the retina in the posterior section of the eye. The vitreous hemorrhage may be the result of an aneurysm of a blood vessel in the eye, trauma to the eye, a retinal tear, a retinal detachment, a new blood vessel (neo-vascularization) or as a result of another underlying disease. These diseases include diabetes, hypertension, and carotid artery disease. Diabetics are particularly susceptible because the disease triggers the growth of new blood vessels within the eye. The vessels are weak and bleed easily.

Vision Changes

There are many types of changes that can affect your vision, and you should always seek medical attention if changes in your vision occur. Vision changes can include blurriness, halos, blind spots, floaters, the inability to see at certain distances, and even blindness. If any of these symptoms are occurring, it could be a sign of an eye disease, aging, an eye injury, or another condition. Vision changes should never be ignored, as they can get worse, and sometimes lead to irreversible blindness.

Vision changes affect your ability to focus on objects, see fine detail, and live life as you see fit. Of the five senses, vision is the most crucial to our overall health and well-being. Although vision changes can occur at any age, most people begin to experience significant vision changes after the age of 60.

What is a subconjunctival hemorrhage?

The conjunctiva is the thin, moist, transparent membrane that covers the white part of the eye (called the sclera) and the inside of the eyelids. The conjunctiva is the outermost protective coating of the eyeball.

The conjunctiva contains nerves and many small blood vessels. These blood vessels are usually barely visible but become larger and more visible if the eye is inflamed. These blood vessels are somewhat fragile and their walls may break easily, resulting in a subconjunctival hemorrhage (bleeding under the conjunctiva). A subconjunctival hemorrhage appears as a bright red or dark red patch on the sclera. This does not require treatment and will resolve spontaneously in 3-6 weeks.

What is Posterior Capsule Opacification?

Posterior Capsule Opacification (PCO) is a common condition that develops in approximately 35% of patients who have undergone cataract surgery. It can occur within weeks or years after surgery. When cataract surgery is performed, the natural lens is removed, but the clear membranous covering of the cataract (the posterior capsule) is left behind. This capsule provides protection for and keeps the new IOL in place. Over time, the capsule can become clouded by various proteins within the eye. Posterior Capsule Opacification symptoms are very similar to cataract symptoms. These include: blurring of vision, glare in daytime or when driving and difficulty seeing near objects that were clear after cataract surgery.

Nutrition and Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) is an acquired ocular disorder and a leading cause of legal blindness in persons over sixty. AMD affects the macula, the central part of the retina, which is responsible for providing clear, sharp vision needed for reading, writing, driving and other visually-demanding activities.

The nature and severity of this condition varies with individual patients, with many experiencing some degree of loss of central vision in one or both eyes. Approximately 90% of patients with AMD have a non-exudative (or dry) form of the disease, which results in the development of dry, atrophic scars in the macular area. Non-exudative AMD patients typically experience slower, more gradual loss of vision. Only 10% of patients develop an exudative (or wet) form, which results in the leaking of fluid beneath the retina, and a greater and more rapid loss of central vision. Effective laser photocoagulation treatment for the disease is limited to small numbers of patients with exudative AMD who are identified early in the disease process.

What is Central Serous Chorio-Retinopathy (CSCR)?

In central serous chorio-retinopathy (CSCR), some fluid collects within the central retina (macula). Because of the fluid, you may see a relatively black patch or blurred vision and/or distortion of images. Straight lines will appear bent and objects may appear smaller or larger than they are. Some vision loss can occur.

What is a Choroidal Nevus?

A choroidal nevus is a freckle or mole that appears inside the eye or on the eye’s surface. Sometimes detected during a dilated eye examination, these pigmented spots are usually flat and brown in color. Choroidal nevi are commonly found in the choroid, a blood vessel-rich layer lying between the retina and the sclera. Although they are not necessarily a “normal” finding in our eyes, they are quite common and usually benign. Nevi vary from patient to patient but most look very similar and have certain traits that eye doctors are very familiar with. Your doctor will document this finding in your chart if it is detected during a routine eye exam.

What is Chorioretinitis?

Inflammation of the choroid (thin pigmented vascular tissue of the eye) and retina of the eye. It can be caused by various pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, fungus or protozoa. Other noninfectious diseases such as sarcoidosis can cause abnormal deposits in the eye which can also result in inflammation.

What Are Cataracts?

cataracts A cataract means a cloudy or opacified lens. The lens is the middle window which separates the front (anterior) and back (posterior) segments of the eye. In a normal eye, it focuses the image entering the eye onto the retina. The retina is the innermost layer of the eye which converts the images into biochemical signals which are subsequently transmitted to the brain.

As you age, your lens becomes gradually more opaque. This affects the amount of light that enters the eye and the ability for images to be focused onto the retina. Your eyesight gradually becomes more blurry and your visual acuity decreases. The more severe the lens opacity, the less light enters the eye and the less the eye sees. Another disabling effect is glare, especially at night. An increase in myopia may occur when the lens becomes denser and thicker. Sometimes, it may also cause the perception of double vision even with the other eye closed.

What Are Retinal Tears?

The back cavity of the inner eye is filled with clear jelly called vitreous. When the vitreous jelly undergoes the natural aging process it deteriorates and becomes liquid. As the eyeball moves, small pockets of liquid vitreous can move around as well inside the vitreous cavity. This movement causes the vitreous to pull on the retina.

What Is Lattice Degeneration?

Lattice degeneration is a process which affects the peripheral retina of the eye, causing that part of the retina to atrophy and become thinner. Although this is not usually a progressive disease, in some cases, the degeneration may lead to retinal detachment, holes, and/or tear and temporary or permanent loss of vision. This eye disease is often associated with myopia, and the two conditions can appear together.

What Is Hypertensive Retinopathy?

Hypertensive retinopathy is damage to the retinal vessels from high blood pressure. The higher the blood pressure and the longer it has been high, the more severe the damage is likely to be. When you have diabetes, high cholesterol levels, or you smoke, you have a higher risk of damage and vision loss. Most people with hypertensive retinopathy do not have symptoms until late in the disease. Malignant hypertension may cause the following sudden symptoms, and should be considered a medical emergency. The symptoms include double vision or dim vision, headaches, and/or visual disturbances and sometimes sudden vision loss

What Are Vitreous Floaters?

New onset of floaters or new change in floaters should always be evaluated with a dilated exam to rule out the risk of Retinal tears, retinal detachment, or bleeding in the eye. When not associated with other, more serious problems, “Floaters” are generally benign tiny gray or black spots that seem to weave in and out of your line of vision. Floaters can look like strings, circles, “O” shapes, or even cobwebs. Although they rarely interfere with your vision, floaters can be annoying or distracting, especially if they appear in front of an expanse of light color like a white wall or computer screen.

What Are Eye Flashes?

Eye Flashes are experienced in the form of light streaks or flashing lights. Symptoms of eye flashes can include sudden flashes of lights or ‘stars’. In some cases, flashes can be in the form of jagged lines. Light flashes may be associated with an ocular migraine and tend to have shapes, colors and will last longer (typically 10-20 minutes). On the other hand, the flashes associated with vitreous separation, retinal detachment, or retinal tear are shorter and without any kind of shapes. If eye flashes are accompanied by a headache, then it’s most probably a migraine headache. Eye flashes are the brain’s way to alert you of stimulation of the retina (you can’t experience the sensation of pain in your retina).

What is Cystoid Macular Edema (CME)?

Cystoid macular edema, commonly called CME, is a painless disorder which affects the central retina or macula. The eye is often compared to a camera, with the front of the eye containing the lens that focuses images on the inside back layer of the eye; this back layer is called the retina, and it is covered with special nerve cells that react to light. When CME is present, multiple cyst-like (cystoid) areas of fluid appear in the macula and cause retinal swelling or edema. This swelling in the retina in turn can cause decreased vision.

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