What is the most common cause of retinal detachment?

The most common causes of retinal detachment are age and injury. There are three types of retinal detachment — each with their own characteristics and causes:

Tractional retinal detachment: This occurs when scar tissue on the retina pulls it away from the back of the eye. It is seen most commonly in individuals with diabetes, because of damage the disease can do to blood vessels in the retina.

Rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD): Considered the most common type of detached retina, a rhegmatogenous (“reg-ma-TAH-juh-nus”) retinal detachment is associated with a hole or tear in the retina. The gel-like fluid inside your eye (the vitreous) can leak through the hole and collect behind the retina, pushing it farther away from the back of the eye until it detaches. While injury and eye surgery are possible causes, aging is the most common cause of RRD.

Exudative retinal detachment: Similar to RRD, exudative retinal detachment involves fluid buildup behind the retina; however, no holes or tears are present. As the fluid gathers, it pushes the retina from the back of the eye, eventually causing it to detach. This type of retinal detachment is attributed to swelling in the eye and leaking blood vessels commonly associated with eye injury, inflammation, tumors or age-related macular degeneration.

Does retinal detachment happen suddenly?

Retinal detachment can happen suddenly or gradually, depending on the cause.

If trauma or injury to the eye is responsible for the detachment, it typically occurs suddenly. This may be due to the vitreous exerting significant traction on the retina, causing it to tear and detach from the back of the eye.

Usually, with age-related retinal detachments, the vitreous will tug or rub against the retina for a period of time before the retina eventually detaches. There are many instances where the vitreous will pull against the retina and cause flashes of light (a symptom of retinal detachment), but no tearing or detachment of the retina occurs.

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