How to Get Relief After a Retinal Tear

The retina is an essential part of the eye. It's a thin layer of light-sensitive tissue near the back of each eye. It aims to interpret and convert light into brain signals that supply vision.

A retinal tear is a type of injury to the retina that can cause symptoms — but not always. The main risk of a tear is retinal detachment, which is an emergency and can negatively impact vision.

If you think you have a retinal tear, the Ophthalmology Associates of Bay Ridge team offers treatments to repair your vision. Our four experienced ophthalmologists provide an eye exam and treatments like laser repair and cryopexy for long-term relief.

Signs of a retinal tear

A retinal tear occurs when an injury or surgical procedure pulls at the retina, causing a split or tear in the thin layer of tissue. Although it's not as severe as a retinal detachment, it can lead to serious complications without treatment.

Many people are at risk for retinal tears, including older adults, nearsighted people, and thinning retinas. While not everyone with a retinal tear experiences symptoms, common signs of the injury include:

• Blurred vision
• Darkened vision
• Light flashes
• More floaters than normal

Some people with mild tears may not know they have the injury, while others know something is wrong immediately. In most cases, people notice symptoms immediately after a tear, indicating something is wrong with their eye.

Do I need to seek treatment?

Some floaters or mild vision changes don't usually scare people into going in for an eye exam – but you shouldn't ignore the signs of a retinal tear. Without treatment, the condition can progress into an emergency retinal detachment.

If you suddenly notice a change in vision, bright flashes of light, or floaters, come in for an eye exam. Our team uses dilating eye drops to see into the back of the eye, where the retina sits.

The treatment you require depends on the severity of the retinal tear. The goal is to relieve symptoms while also preventing retinal detachment.

Getting relief after a retinal tear

Not all retinal tears require treatment. If you have a mild tear without symptoms, we may monitor it closely until it heals on its own. However, if you have symptoms, we offer various treatments.

Two highly successful treatments for retinal tears are laser repair and cryopexy. Laser treatment is a fast procedure that utilizes laser energy to scar the surrounding tissue, causing the tear to heal. It also prevents fluid from getting behind the tear, potentially leading to a detachment.

Cryopexy or cryotherapy is a treatment that utilizes a freezing probe to scar surrounding tissue. This prevents fluid from getting behind the tear and causing it to heal. It takes about 30 minutes and is extremely successful for retinal tears.

If you're experiencing pain after a retinal tear, we recommend taking over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications for a few days to ease discomfort. You should also rest your eyes and avoid strenuous physical activities for several weeks.

In addition, we may prescribe eye drops to help with swelling and discomfort from the retinal tear and to prevent infection from entering the retinal space.

With adequate treatment, the outlook for retinal tears is great. Once the tear heals, you shouldn’t have any remaining symptoms or eye trouble.

Call us at Ophthalmology Associates of Bay Ridge today to make an appointment for a retinal tear, or click here to book online.