Causes of retinal damage and treatment methods

Retinal damage is a serious injury that may affect vision, and often occurs as a result of another health problem. The "Dalili Medical" website reviews in the following lines the causes of retinal damage and the most important treatment options available, according to what was stated on our website.

**What is the effect of high eye pressure on the retina and how can it be treated?**

High eye pressure can damage the blood vessels and tissues in the retina. This condition is usually treated with medications designed to reduce eye pressure, or through a surgical procedure aimed at improving the flow of eye fluid.

**Can retinal fibrosis be avoided and how can it be detected in the early stages?**

In some cases, retinal fibrosis can be avoided by regularly monitoring eye health and following preventive measures, such as controlling high eye pressure. This condition can also be detected in the early stages through periodic examinations that include measuring eye pressure and examining the retina.

**Causes of Retinal Weakness**

- **Keratoconus:** It is considered one of the most prominent causes of retinal weakness, as the cornea thins and bulges, and is often associated with eye rubbing or injury, and is considered a hereditary condition. It usually appears in the late teens or early twenties, and the affected person may suffer from double vision in only one eye.

- **Astigmatism:** It refers to a defect in the curve of the eye lens or cornea, which leads to the absence of an ideal curve. The person may feel blurred or blurred vision, and if astigmatism is present in only one eye, he may suffer from double vision in that eye.

- **Cataract:** Cataracts cause a cloudiness to appear on the eye, and are one of the main causes of retinal weakness. If the cataract is present in one eye, double vision in that eye may be an early sign.

- **Pterygium:** Pterygium is a non-cancerous growth, where the conjunctiva or mucous membrane grows in the field of vision. This condition is usually not a cause for concern and can be removed if it interferes with daily life. Symptoms of pterygium include blurry or double vision in one eye, which can lead to weakening of the retina over time.

Dry eyes can be one of the causes of weak retina, a temporary symptom of another condition such as allergies. Dry eyes can also be chronic, in which case it is known as dry eye syndrome, which occurs when the surface of the eye is not naturally lubricated by tears, leading to blurred vision.

**Can retinal damage be reversed?**

Yes, in many cases, an ophthalmologist can repair retinal damage, especially if treated early. This can help stabilize vision and prevent further vision loss, but in some cases, the patient may not be able to fully recover their vision. Treatment for retinal disorders varies depending on the type and severity of the condition, and options usually range from medications and vitamins, injections, surgery, laser therapy or cryotherapy.

**Can vision be improved after retinal damage?**

This depends on the extent of the damage, the underlying causes, and the measures taken. In some cases, vision can be improved through surgical treatment or the use of appropriate vision correction techniques.

**What is the importance of regular eye health examinations and when should they be performed?**

Regular eye health examinations are essential for early detection of eye problems such as retinal fibrosis. It is recommended to perform this examination regularly, at least once a year or as directed by an ophthalmologist.

**What is retinal damage or retinopathy?**

The term retinopathy refers to damage to the area responsible for vision in the eye, known as the retina. Symptoms of this damage can range from mild to severe, and may eventually lead to vision loss. Retinal damage is often caused by damage to the blood vessels that feed this area, and retinopathy is a serious complication that may affect people with conditions that negatively affect the health of blood vessels. These conditions include a group of diseases and health problems that we will review in the following paragraph.

**Causes attributed to retinal fibrosis:**

- **High eye pressure (glaucoma):** High eye pressure can damage the blood vessels and tissues in the retina.

- **Retinal detachment:** Retinal detachment may occur as a result of retinal tearing or separation from the surrounding layers, leading to damage and fibrosis of parts of it.

- **Degenerative retinal diseases:** These include diseases such as multiple sclerosis, diabetes, and multiple sclerosis, and may lead to damage to the retina due to persistent inflammation or poor blood circulation.

**Eye tumors:**

Some rare tumors that affect the eye are capable of causing damage to the retina and changing its structure.

**Central serous retinopathy**: This disorder involves the accumulation of serous fluid in the retina, leading to poor vision. Serous retinopathy can be caused by some medications such as steroids or stress, as stress increases the levels of steroid hormones in the body.

**Retinopathy of prematurity**: This type occurs when a baby is born prematurely or has a low birth weight. In this condition, the blood vessels in the retina do not mature, and there may be no symptoms in the early stages, but it can eventually lead to retinal detachment and blindness.

**Tumors**: These include tumors that affect the retina, such as retinoblastoma.

**Retinitis pigmentosa**: This is a genetic disease that causes the retina to gradually deteriorate, causing loss of night vision and side vision.

**Retinal tear and detachment**: The vitreous is a clear, gel-like substance that fills the large cavity of the eye lined with the retina. At birth, this gel is attached to the retina, but as the baby ages, the gel separates from the retina, causing it to tear and detach.

**Diabetes**: As diabetes progresses, the retina begins to 

The blood vessels deteriorate, which can lead to blockage or distortion. This deterioration causes fluid to build up and swelling in the retina, leading to poor vision. The vessels can also become unstable and begin to bleed, leading to irritation, scarring, and decreased vision. This can take years to develop and is also known as diabetic retinopathy.

**High blood pressure**: Damage to the retina caused by high blood pressure is also known as hypertensive retinopathy. High blood pressure can cause bleeding in the blood vessels of the retina. In the early stages, there may be no symptoms, and the condition can be diagnosed during a routine eye exam.

**Symptoms of retinal fibrosis**: Symptoms of retinal fibrosis may not be obvious in the early stages, but as time passes and fibrosis progresses, some signs and symptoms may appear, such as:
- Blurry or ghostly vision.
- Extreme sensitivity to light.
- The appearance of floaters in the vision (vitreous compounds).
- Changes in the field of vision, such as a narrowing of the visual field.

**Types of retinal damage and their causes**

Retinal damage occurs mainly as a result of the blood vessels that feed the retina area being affected or due to damage to the retinal tissue in the eye in general. This damage is often associated with other health problems, making it one of the serious complications of these conditions. This causes a group of problems that are considered factors for retinal damage and its types, including:

1. **Diabetic retinopathy**: Diabetes, whether type 1 or 2, poses a risk of developing several vascular problems, the most prominent of which is retinal damage or damage over time. A large percentage of diabetics suffer from retinal problems years after the injury, as a result of the small blood vessels that feed the retina area at the back of the eye being affected. These injuries range from simple symptoms such as eye fatigue and blurred vision to more serious problems that require rapid medical intervention to avoid vision loss.

2. **Pigmentary retinopathy**: Also known as hereditary retinopathy, it is a genetic disorder whose symptoms appear gradually at any age. Symptoms usually start with difficulty seeing at night and poor peripheral vision.

3. **Hypertensive retinopathy**: In some cases of high blood pressure, the blood vessels in the retina are affected, which can lead to bleeding in those vessels and affect vision. Often, there are no symptoms in the early stages, and the condition is discovered by chance during routine eye examinations.

4. **Retinopathy of prematurity**: Premature babies, who are born prematurely, may suffer from several problems, including the insufficient growth of blood vessels in the retina. There may be no symptoms in the early stages, but there is a high risk of retinal detachment or vision loss in later stages.

5. **Macular degeneration**: The macula area of ​​the retina is central to controlling vision. When there is a malfunction in the visual cells in this area, it is known as macular degeneration. This disease often affects older people and may affect one or both eyes. The injury can be mild and treatable when detected early, but advanced and untreated cases can lead to permanent damage to the retina and loss of vision.

6. **Other causes**: There are several other factors that may contribute to damage to the retina over time, such as chronic anxiety and depression, excessive use of steroid medications, drug abuse, and heart disease.

**Diagnosis of retinal damage**

The diagnosis depends on the suspected condition and the type of symptoms the patient exhibits. In general, there are several methods used to diagnose advanced retinal damage, including:

**Amsler grid test**: This is a test consisting of a grid of overlapping horizontal and vertical lines, and is used as a diagnostic tool to help detect a group of eye problems associated with retinal damage, such as macular degeneration. The doctor shows this grid to the patient and asks him if he notices any distortions or breaks in the lines, which helps in assessing the extent of damage to the retina.

**Optical coherence tomography (OCT):** is a test that provides an accurate picture of the condition of the retina in the eye, which helps in diagnosing the causes of retinal damage.

**Ultrasound**: High-frequency sound waves are used to see some structures of the eye, including the retina, which helps in diagnosing problems in the retina, especially in cases of tumors.

**MRI**: or CT scan, are two methods rarely used, but they can sometimes help in diagnosing retinal injuries.

**Fluorescein imaging**: This is a technique used to identify abnormal blood vessels in the retina, where a dye called fluorescein is used to make the blood vessels shine under a special type of light, which helps in identifying blocked, torn or abnormal vessels in the back of the eye.

**Indocyanine green imaging**: This is a dye used to see the blood vessels in the retina, and helps in seeing the deeper vessels better, as this dye shines when infrared light is shone on it.

**Treatment of retinal damage**: Treatment of retinal damage can be either an emergency procedure to prevent the disease from getting worse, or an attempt to restore some vision after advanced damage has occurred. Common treatments include:

- **Laser coagulation**: This is a procedure that uses the heat of laser light to repair and close torn parts of the retina, and is used in the early stages of retinal tears to prevent detachment.

- **Cryopexy**: In this method, the torn part of the retina is repaired using extreme cold, which helps freeze the tissue in place and prevent the condition from getting worse.

- **Pneumatic retinopexy**: In this procedure, a gas or air bubble is injected into the eye, with the aim of creating pressure that helps return the damaged tissue in the retina to its normal position.

- **Scleral buckling**: The sclera is the outer layer of the eye (the white of the eye), and in the process of scleral buckling, a piece of silicone is sewn onto this layer to relieve some of the tensile forces inside the eye that are pressing on the retina, which helps reattach the retina to its place.

**Vitrectomy**: A medical procedure in which the gelatinous fluid inside the eye, known as the vitreous, is removed, and the doctor then injects the resulting vacuum with air, gas, or another liquid. This procedure is used to treat a variety of retinal problems, such as diabetic retinopathy, retinal tears, and retinal detachment.

**Medication injections**: Injecting certain medications into the eye can help treat some cases of retinal damage, most notably wet macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and damage to the blood vessels in the retina.

**Retinal transplant**: A surgical procedure that aims to restore partial vision in patients who have suffered significant damage to the retina that cannot be treated. This procedure helps improve the quality of vision, as it gives the patient the ability to perceive light and recognize simple objects.

**Injecting medicine into the eye**: The doctor may recommend injecting medicine into the back vitreous body of the eye. This technique is effective in treating conditions such as wet macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and broken blood vessels inside the eye.

**Replacing fluid in the eye**: This treatment is known as vitrectomy, where the doctor removes the clear fluid from inside the eye and then injects air, gas, or another fluid. This method is used in cases of bleeding or inflammation that obstruct the vision of the retina, and is an effective treatment for retinal tears, diabetic retinopathy, and macular holes.

**Suture silicone on the surface of the eye**: This surgery is used to treat retinal damage, as the doctor sews a small piece of silicone material onto the hard layer of the eye, which reduces the pressure resulting from the vitreous tugging on the retina. This technique can be combined with other treatments.

**Injecting air or gas into the eye**: This technique is known as pneumatic retina resurfacing, and it helps repair certain types of retinal damage, and it can be used with techniques such as cooling or laser photocoagulation.

**Shrinking abnormal blood vessels**: Your doctor may use laser photocoagulation to shrink abnormal new blood vessels that are bleeding or threatening to bleed into the eye. This treatment is useful for people with diabetic retinopathy, but excessive use can lead to loss of night vision.

**Treating retinal damage with herbs**: There is no specific natural treatment for retinal fibrosis, but there are many natural treatments that may improve overall eye health, and target the underlying causes of eye diseases such as inflammation and eye strain. Herbs that may help in this area include:
1. Traditional Chinese formulas for eye health.
2. Grape seed and berry extracts for their antioxidant properties.
3. Ginkgo biloba to improve blood circulation in the eyes.