Mr. Ghosh of Kolkata was seeing floating specks. He thought this will go away on its own but in a few weeks, the number of black spots increased. Eventually, he developed a cloudy area is his vision field. On his family’s insistence, he went to see an ophthalmologist. After consulting the doctor, he was diagnosed with Diabetic Retinopathy. He realised the gravity of the situation. If he hadn’t gone to the doctor for long, he would have lost his vision.
There are several types of retinal diseases and they can be caused due to ageing, diabetes or other health factors. Usually, most of the retinal diseases show visual symptoms. The retina is the layer of tissue that helps in sending images to your brain. Anything that affects your retina will affect your vision.
If left unattended for long, a retinal disease can lead to loss of vision. How would you know that you have a retinal disease? An eye specialist can do the diagnosis and look for signs of retinal disorders.
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If you are looking for one of the best eye specialists in Kolkata, then visit Disha Eye Hospitals. We, at Disha Eye Hospitals, are committed to providing quality care at affordable cost. We have the best retina specialists in Kolkata who can diagnose retinal and vitreous diseases through a comprehensive eye examination. If you want to know more about retinal disorders, or if you would like to set up an eye exam, book an appointment online at http://www.dishaeye.org/contact-us. You can also book an appointment through WhatsApp (9433311111).
Here are common retinal diseases and their symptoms:
1. Floaters: If you notice spots, grey specks or cobwebs in your vision, then you have eye floaters. As we age, jelly-like substance in eyes become liquid and this casts a shadow on the retina. However, floaters can also be caused if the retina is torn. If the torn retina is not fixed, this can lead to retinal detachment. An ophthalmologist may suggest surgery to make the spots less noticeable. However, surgery can remove some of the floaters but not all.
Symptoms:
- Dark grey specks or transparent strings may appear in the vision
- Spots float ie when you move your eyes, the spots too move quickly
- Spots become noticeable when you look at plain backgrounds like a white wall or the sky
2. Macular degeneration: As you age, the centre of your retina starts to deteriorate, this affects your central vision, making it difficult for you to see things in a straight line. There’s no cure for macular degeneration but there are options to slow down its progression. Early diagnosis of macular degeneration can help minimise vision loss.
Symptoms:
- Trouble in identifying faces
- Straight lines may appear distorted
- Need for bright light for doing daily activities
- Blurry vision
3. Diabetic retinopathy: Diabetes often causes tiny blood vessels to swell up. These blood vessels can burst and leak fluid, distorting or blurring vision. Depending upon the type of diabetes you have, new blood vessels may grow, furthering causing more damage to the retina. With a comprehensive dilated eye test, an ophthalmologist will be able to diagnose the disease. If you have diabetes, then you should go for a comprehensive test every year. You can prevent diabetic retinopathy from getting worse by keeping your blood pressure and diabetes under control. An eye doctor will suggest a laser surgery that will destroy leaking blood vessels.
Symptoms:
- You will find it difficult to see while driving and reading
- Difficulty in identifying colours
- Vision may seem blurred
- Black spots may appear
4. Retinal detachment: Retinal detachment happens when the retina separates from the back of your eyes, this can cause loss of vision either partially or fully. It is an emergency situation that requires you to immediately consult an eye specialist. Though retinal detachment is painless, there can some warning signs before the disease occurs or advances. Surgery is usually necessary to repair the detached retina. Retinal detachment can be caused by an inflammatory disorder or cancer behind your retina.
Symptoms:-
- Blurred vision
- Partial vision loss, especially peripheral vision
- Sudden appearance of floaters or flashes
If you are in Kolkata and experience eye problem, visit Disha Eye Hospitals – the best eye care hospital in Kolkata. To know more about us, visit http://www.dishaeye.org/.