The retina is the third and inner coat of the eye which is a light-sensitive layer of tissue. The optics of the eye create an image of the visual world on the retina (through the cornea and lens), which serves much the same function as the film in a camera. Light striking the retina initiates a cascade of chemical and electrical events that ultimately trigger nerve impulses. These are sent to various visual centres of the brain through the fibres of the optic nerve.
Retinal detachment itself is painless. But warning signs almost always appear before it occurs or has advanced, such as:
The sudden appearance of many floaters — tiny specks that seem to drift through your field of vision
Flashes of light in one or both eyes
Blurred vision
Gradually reduced side (peripheral) vision
A curtain-like shadow over your visual field
Visual distortions, such as straight lines seeming bent
Reduced central vision in one or both eyes
Decreased intensity or brightness of colors
A well-defined blurry spot or blind spot in your field of vision
A general haziness in your overall vision.
