Retina Emergency
Symptoms of Retinal Detachment
Retinal detachment is an emergency. The longer the retina stays detached, the higher the risk of permanent vision loss. Acting within hours — not days — can save your sight.
The warning signs
- Sudden flashes of light (like a camera flash) in one eye
- A new shower of floaters — small dark specks, cobwebs, or strings drifting through your vision
- A dark shadow or curtain creeping in from the side of your vision
- Sudden blur or loss of vision in part of the visual field
- The feeling that a veil has been pulled down over one eye
These signs can also occur without detachment, but you cannot tell the difference on your own. Treat them all as emergencies until proven otherwise.
What to do right now
Call us immediately on +965 553 06625 and ask for an urgent retinal review. If we cannot see you within the day, go straight to a hospital emergency department.
Who is at higher risk?
- Severe myopia (high prescription)
- Previous eye surgery or trauma
- Family history of retinal detachment
- Proliferative diabetic retinopathy
- Posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) — common in adults over 50
How detachment is treated
Modern retinal detachment surgery uses small-incision vitrectomy, endolaser, gas or silicone oil tamponade, and sometimes a scleral buckle. Many eyes recover useful vision if surgery is performed promptly. Read more about our vitrectomy & retinal detachment surgery.