Retinal Detachment Research Paper

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Amelia Anderson
Spring 2017 Retinal Detachment
Retinal detachment is a separation of the retina from the choroid usual. The retina is a thin layer of tissue that lines the back of the orbital socket near the optic nerve. The normal functions of the retina are to process light through a layer of photoreceptor cells. These cells are light-sensitive and detect color and light intensity. The information gathered from these cells send information to the brain through the optic nerve to create a visual image (Davis 1797).
Retinal detachment can occur in many ways and is often caused due to a tear or hole in the retina. When this happens, vitreous fluids leak through the opening and cause the retina to separate from the underlying tissues. The most common cause of this condition is posterior vitreous detachment. Vitreous detachment is most common in people who are between the ages of 40-70 but may occur earlier if the patient has extreme nearsightedness, eye trauma, or a family history of the condition. …show more content…

The standard tests that an ophthalmologist will give a new and continuing patient are checking color vision, visual acuity which is when the patient reads a word or picture chart off the wall to check the smallest letters or pictures to be read, and a refraction test to check an existing eyeglass prescription. If retinal detachment is suspected they will do a fluorescein angiography to check the blood flow in the retina. This is done by using a special dye and a camera and a scope called an ophthalmoscopy. The ophthalmologist will also most likely do a slit-lamp examination to check the structures of the front of the eye and tonometry which checks the pressure inside the eye. An ultrasound of the eye can determine how severe a retinal detachment is and what treatment procedures can be done to correct it if possible (Frazier

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