Under certain conditions, especially with advancing age, the clear gel-like fluid which fills the eye can begin to break down and separate from the retina. As it does, it sometimes pulls the retina along with it, tearing holes in the fragile membrane.

Left untreated, fluid seeps through these holes causing the layers of the retina to separate and detach. Depending on the degree of detachment, partial or total blindness may be the result.

Among those most at risk for retinal detachment are older adults and people with severe nearsightedness or a family history of the condition. A severe blow to the eye, tumours or complications from diabetes can also cause the retina to detach.

The symptoms of retinal tears sometimes include sudden, unexplained flashes of light and/or moving black spots in the vision called “floaters.” In most cases, these symptoms do not indicate serious eye problems; they can however indicate a substantial shrinking of the vitreous and attendant retinal tears.

If you experience floaters or flashes, please call to arrange an eye examination. New retinal tears may be easily treated with laser before they lead to a more severe retinal detachment.

In more serious detachments, symptoms may involve a rapid appearance of a dark shadow starting at the edge of the field of vision. This can progress to loss of central vision.

Some detachments can occur very suddenly, causing the patient to experience total loss of vision in the affected eye.

There are numerous tools and techniques your doctor may use to examine the retina.

The ophthalmoscope is used to examine both the central and peripheral retina. In both procedures, your pupils will first be dilated, allowing the retina to be examined under bright light and magnification.

The slit lamp combines a microscope with strong illumination. It is often used with a hand-held lens, allowing doctors to see portions of the retina in greater detail.

Usually, retinal tears are at the edges of the eye and affect only your peripheral vision; doctors may monitor small breaks without treatment.

If treatment is determined to be appropriate, however, your doctor will recommend either laser or cryotherapy treatment.

Laser treatment uses an intense beam of green light to “spot weld” layers of the retina in place. It is performed using eye drops for anaesthetic, sitting in a chair in the consulting rooms.

In cryotherapy, a local anaesthetic is applied by injection to the eye and the small area around the break is frozen with a probe. As the frozen area heals, it forms scar tissue which reattaches the retinal layers at the point of the break. This requires admission for day surgery.

If the issue is more severe and the retina has detached, an urgent operation is required.