Retina Conditions

Diabetic retinopathy is a common eye disease associated with diabetes. This disease affects the blood vessels in your retina, causing them to leak fluids. These fluids can damage your retina and lead to permanent vision loss.

Please visit our Diabetic Eye Exams page to learn more about diabetic retinopathy.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is one of the most common eye diseases affecting adults over 55. AMD affects a part of your eye called the macula, which is responsible for providing the vision you use to see sharp central details.

2 types of AMD exist:

• Dry AMD, which thins the macula over time. Research suggests that a lipid called drusen is responsible for thinning the macula as you age.
• Wet AMD, which occurs when abnormal blood vessels form underneath the macula and leak fluids. Wet AMD can lead to emergency symptoms like sudden vision loss.

Retinal tears and detachments are some of the most severe eye problems you can develop. The risk of experiencing these issues can increase with age, high nearsightedness, eye disease, or previous eye surgery.

Retinal tears and detachments occur when the retina pulls away from the layer of blood vessels that nourish it. When your retina detaches, you may see flashes and floaters and experience gradual or sudden vision loss.

As your vitreous humor pulls away from the retina with age, it can also affect the centermost part of your retina called the macula, creating a macular hole.

Fluids that replace your vitreous humor can also seep through your macular hole, leading to central vision problems like blurriness. Over time, it can lead to permanent vision loss.

Your risk of developing a macular hole can increase if you have high nearsightedness, eye injuries, or existing retinal detachment problems.