Posterior Vitreous Detachment
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KEY POINTS
- Posterior vitreous detachment means that the clear gel inside your eyeball pulls away from the back of your eye.
- There is no treatment for posterior vitreous detachment. See your eye care provider regularly because the detached vitreous may detach your retina, which can cause blindness.
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What is posterior vitreous detachment?
Posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) means that the clear gel (vitreous) inside your eyeball pulls away from the back of your eye. Light passes through the vitreous to the retina. The retina is the lining at the back of the eye that senses light coming into the eye.
What is the cause?
As you get older, the vitreous gets more watery. It’s harder for it to keep its normal shape, and it may start to pull away from the retina.
PVD is not a sign of a disease or eye health problem. It is a natural change that often happens with aging. It’s very common in people over the age of 65, and it may happen in your 40s or 50s.
Things that may increase your risk of PVD include:
- Nearsightedness, which means that you see close objects clearly, but distant objects are blurry. Nearsightedness happens when the eyeball is too long or when the outer layer of the eye, called the cornea, is too curved. This eye shape causes light rays to focus at a point in front of the retina, instead of directly on it.
- Injury to your eye from an accident, fall, or getting hit in the eye
- A personal or family history of retinal problems
- Cataract surgery
What are the symptoms?
Symptoms may include:
- An increase in floaters, which are small, moving spots in your field of vision
- Flashes, which are flickers or streaks of light in your side vision
If you have a loss of vision, like a curtain being pulled across the front of your eye, it may be a sign that your retina has detached. A retinal detachment is a separation of the retina from the back of the eye. It is very serious and needs to be treated right away to save your vision.
How is it diagnosed?
Your healthcare provider will ask about your symptoms and medical history and do exams and tests such as:
- An exam using a microscope with a light attached, called a slit lamp, to look closely at the front and back of your eye
- An exam using drops to enlarge, or dilate, your pupils and a light to look into the back of your eye
- An ultrasound which uses sound waves to show pictures of your eye
You may be referred to a retina specialist.
How is it treated?
There is no treatment for PVD. Once the vitreous has fully pulled away from the retina you are less likely to see flashes of light. Floaters are very common and your brain usually learns to ignore them over time.
If you have a detachment of the retina, you may need surgery right away.
How can I take care of myself?
Make sure you know when you should come back for a checkup. Keep all appointments for provider visits or tests. If your vision gets worse or you start having other vision problems, let your provider know.
How can I help prevent PVD?
If you have had vitreous detachment in one eye, your risk of vitreous detachment in the other eye is greater. See your eye care provider regularly so that any problems in your other eye can be corrected before they become more serious.
