Retina care
The retina is the thin, light-sensing layer at the back of the eye. Many retinal diseases cause no pain, and some cause no symptoms until vision is already affected. Early diagnosis and timely treatment make the biggest difference.
Understanding your eye
Light enters through the clear cornea and is focused by the lens onto the retina, a thin light-sensing layer lining the back of the eye, much like the sensor in a camera. The macula, at the centre of the retina, gives the sharp vision you use for reading and recognising faces. The optic nerve carries the image to the brain.
The inside of the eye is filled with a clear gel called the vitreous. Retinal diseases affect the retina, the macula or the vitreous.
How some retinal problems can change what you see. Symptoms vary from person to person.
Diabetes can damage the small blood vessels of the retina, causing leakage, swelling of the macula, or abnormal new vessels.
Watch forOften no symptoms early on, then blurred or fluctuating vision.
TreatmentControl of sugar and blood pressure, injections, retinal laser, and vitrectomy for advanced disease.
Watch my video on this (Hindi) →The retina lifts away from the wall of the eye, usually through a tear. It is an emergency that needs prompt surgery.
Watch forFlashes, new floaters, and a shadow spreading across your vision.
TreatmentLaser for a tear caught early; vitrectomy or scleral buckle surgery for a detachment.
Watch my video on this (Hindi) →A small break in, or a thin scar layer over, the macula, the part of the retina used for reading and recognising faces.
Watch forBlurred central vision and distortion when reading.
TreatmentVitrectomy with membrane peeling; some patients need head positioning afterwards.
Watch my video on this (Hindi) →Age-related damage to the macula. The “wet” form, with leaking vessels, can reduce central vision quickly.
Watch forWavy lines, a dark or blank patch in the centre of vision.
TreatmentAnti-VEGF injections for wet AMD; regular monitoring for the dry form.
A blockage in a retinal vein, often linked to high blood pressure, diabetes or raised cholesterol.
Watch forSudden, painless blurring in one eye.
TreatmentInjections for macular swelling, laser when needed, and a check of general health with your physician.
Watch my video on this (Hindi) →Bleeding into the gel that fills the eye, commonly from diabetic retinopathy, a retinal tear or a vein occlusion.
Watch forSudden dark floaters, cobwebs, or a red-tinged haze.
TreatmentB-scan to check the retina, treatment of the cause, and vitrectomy if the blood does not clear.
Diabetic retinopathy can be present even when your vision feels normal. A dilated retina examination at least once a year, or as advised, catches it early.
Medicine (such as anti-VEGF or steroid) is placed inside the eye with a very fine needle after numbing drops. It takes a few minutes and you go home the same day. Most conditions need a series of injections.
A focused laser seals retinal tears, treats leaking areas and controls abnormal vessels in diabetic retinopathy and vein occlusion. It is done in the clinic, without admission.
Keyhole surgery to remove the vitreous gel and repair the retina, done in a modular OT on the Constellation system, usually under local anaesthesia. A gas or silicone oil bubble may be placed to support the retina while it heals.
If you have a gas bubble in your eye, do not travel by air or to high altitudes, and tell any doctor giving you anaesthesia, until you are told the gas has gone. Follow your positioning advice closely; it directly affects how well the retina heals.
Home monitoring
If you have macular degeneration, diabetic macular oedema, a macular hole or epiretinal membrane, or I have advised it, check each eye with an Amsler grid. It helps you notice new distortion early, when treatment works best.
The eye is numbed with drops first. Most patients feel only slight pressure. The eye may feel gritty or look red for a day or two.
Most patients go home the same day. You will be given eye drops, a schedule of check-ups, and positioning instructions if needed.
It depends on the condition and on whether gas or silicone oil was used. Vision often improves gradually over several weeks. I will explain what to expect for your eye before surgery.
Previous eye reports and scans, a list of your medicines, and recent sugar or blood pressure reports if you have diabetes or hypertension. Your pupils will be dilated, so bring someone to accompany you and avoid driving afterwards.
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