Long Island Retinal Conditions

Retinal health plays an essential role in vision. The retina is the light-sensitive membrane located at the back of your eye. It is connected to the optic nerve, through which images are transmitted for recognition.

There are a number of issues that can affect the functionality of the retina. The Ophthalmic Center specializes in the diagnosis of a wide array of retinal conditions ranging from the everyday to the uncommon.

When you come into our state-of-the-art facility with a retinal concern, one of our ophthalmologists will perform a simple test to evaluate retinal health. Eye drops will be administered to help dilate your eyes so that the retina can be viewed using a specialized magnifying lens. Whether you’re suffering from the nuisance of eye floaters or something more serious like retinal detachment, our experienced doctors can help identify the issue and formulate a custom treatment plan to restore your retinal health.

What are Eye Floaters?

Do you ever notice small spots or colored blotches that appear to drift across your field of vision? These are what we call eye floaters. They are incredibly common and rarely interfere with vision. (More often than not they’re just an occasional distraction or nuisance.) You may notice floaters more often when you’re staring at a clear white background like a computer screen.

So what exactly are eye floaters? To answer that we have to look at the anatomy of an eye. Between the lens and the retina your eye has a gel-like section called the vitreous body. As we age, the vitreous gradually loses its gel-like quality, instead becoming more watery. Tiny flecks of vitreous gel may break off and essentially float around this section of the eye.

Most eye floaters do not require treatment, but a sudden increase in floaters or a “showering” sensation may be indicative of a more serious problem. If you are concerned about eye floaters, our team will be more than happy to provide a comprehensive evaluation.

What is Light Flashes?

Whereas eye floaters are common and typically not a cause for concern, there are other retina conditions that are more problematic. Seeing flashes of light (aka “seeing stars”) can be a sign of a number of serious conditions including retinal tears and detachment, migraine headaches, benign growths (nevus) and ocular melanoma.

If you experience any unusual eye flashes or related symptoms, schedule an appointment with TOC Eye® as soon as possible for an evaluation.

What are Holes and Tears?

Retinal holes and tears can occur when fluid buildup in the back of the eye causes the gel to pull away from the retina. This pulling can cause small holes or tears in the retina that may impact vision. Symptoms of a retinal hole or tear can include cloudy vision or dark shadows.

Retinal holes and tears will not necessarily damage vision, but they can lead to a far more serious problem: retinal detachment.

What is Retinal Detachment?

Retinal detachment is a serious eye problem that can cause permanent blindness if left unchecked. It occurs when the retina becomes separated from the tissue surrounding it. If you have a family history of retinal detachment, suffer from a disease like diabetes or high blood pressure, have had an eye injury or are extremely nearsighted, you may be at greater risk for retinal detachment.

There are a variety of symptoms associated with retinal detachment, including light flashes, eye floaters (chronic) and loss of peripheral vision. Fortunately, there are a number of treatment options for detachment; though failure to seek prompt treatment could result in permanent vision loss.

The best method of treatment is prevention through regular eye health checkups. If you are at risk of retinal detachment, we will work with you to ensure that your retinal health is monitored to prevent any serious issues.

Schedule a Retinal Health Consultation with TOC Eye®

To learn more about retinal conditions or to schedule a consultation with one of our retinal health specialists, call us today at 631-751-2020 or contact us via our web form.