A retinal tear is a small break in the inner lining of your eye. Your retina can tear before it detaches completely. Retinal detachment and tears are a severe medical emergency and should be treated immediately to prevent further damage to the retinal area.

]Retinal detachment happens when the light-sensitive layer at the back of your eye, the retina, pulls away from the eye wall. When this happens, it loses its connection to the blood vessels that provide oxygen to the tissue.

If the detachment isn't treated quickly, more tissue can detach, which increases the risk of permanent blindness.

Like macular degeneration, macular holes interfere with a person’s central vision and are most common among those over the age of 60, though they can affect people at any age. They generally affect only one eye, but can affect both. If you have noticed grey or black spots, blank areas, or other visual distortions (such as normally straight objects appearing bent) in your central field of vision, then you may have macular holes. It is important that you schedule an eye exam immediately.

including epiretinal membrane, debilitating vitreous debris, vitreous hemorrhage, retinal vein occlusion, age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, posterior vitreous detachment as well as other less common conditions affecting the retina and vitreous.