What Are Floaters: Posterior Vitreous Detachment
Posterior vitreous detachment and retinal detachment
Posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) and retinal detachment are two eye conditions that can lead to vision loss if not treated promptly. As you age, your eyes become more vulnerable to these conditions, making regular eye exams and proper eye care crucial for maintaining good eye health.
Optometry is vital in diagnosing and treating these conditions, ensuring patients receive the care they need to preserve their vision. This blog will discuss the causes, symptoms, and treatment options for PVD and retinal detachment and how they relate.
What is Posterior Vitreous Detachment (PVD)?
Posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) is a common age-related condition that occurs when the vitreous gel within the eye separates from the retina. The retina is a thin, light-sensing nerve tissue layer that lines the eye's back wall, detects light, and transmits visual images to the brain.
As posterior vitreous detachment progresses, it can cause noticeable changes in vision, such as the appearance of specks or shadows of grey or black and light flashes, often in peripheral vision. While PVD is a natural process, seeking medical attention is important if these symptoms appear suddenly, as they may indicate a more serious condition, such as retinal detachment.
Symptoms of PVD
Posterior vitreous detachment has two most common symptoms:
Floaters: When small, blurry shadows or specks obscure your vision.
Flashes: These are streaks of light often appearing at the side of your vision and can be a sign of retinal detachment.
Typically, the severity of these symptoms tends to decrease over several weeks.
Causes of PVD
There lies a viscous substance known as the vitreous gel within the eyeball, composed primarily of water and a collagen protein. As time passes and an individual grows older, this gel gradually transforms into a more liquid consistency, causing the connection between the gel's posterior surface and the retina to break down. As a result, the vitreous gel detaches from the retina, separating the two.
Risk factors
Posterior vitreous detachment typically occurs in individuals over 60 and is relatively rare in those under 40. The likelihood of developing PVD increases with age, and having experienced it in one eye increases the probability of it occurring in the other.
Certain factors can increase the chances of PVD, including:
Diabetes
Eye surgery
Eye Trauma
Myopia
Diagnosis
Promptly seeking medical attention from an eye specialist is crucial if you experience symptoms of PVD. Tests such as a dilated eye examination and ocular ultrasound can identify potentially serious problems and are typically painless.
What is retinal detachment?
When the retina, the layer of tissue located at the back of the eye, becomes separated from the tissues supporting it, it results in a critical condition known as retinal detachment.
Immediate treatment is necessary to preserve one's vision, and seeking immediate medical attention from an ophthalmologist is crucial in achieving this outcome.
Symptoms
Some common symptoms of retinal detachment include:
The sudden emergence of numerous floaters that appear to drift through the field of vision
Blurred vision
Flashes of light in one or both eye
A gradual decrease in peripheral vision
Presence of a curtain-like shadow over one's field of vision.
Causes
Retinal detachment can be caused by various factors, the most frequent being aging or an eye injury. The condition can be classified into three types: rhegmatogenous, tractional, and exudative. Each type results from a specific problem that separates the retina from the eye's back.
Diagnosis
An eye exam is necessary to diagnose retinal detachment. The exam is performed by your eye care provider and involves dilating eye drops to widen the pupil, allowing for a closer look at the retina.
Additional non-invasive tests may also be recommended for a more detailed view of the retina. These include:
Optical coherence tomography (OCT)
Eye (ocular) ultrasound
How posterior vitreous detachment relates to retinal detachment?
Posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) can lead to a more severe eye condition, such as a retinal tear. The vitreous fibers can tear a hole as they pull away from the retina. If left untreated, this can progress to retinal detachment, a severe eye condition requiring immediate medical attention.
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