There are several conditions that can cause you to experience temporary visual impairment. One in particular that you should know about is central serous retinopathy, a condition that causes the macula to detach from its supporting tissue, causing fluid to leak into the space beneath the retina. Read on to learn the basics about this eye disease.
What are the symptoms of central serous retinopathy?
The primary symptom of central serous retinopathy is distorted central vision. Your vision towards the outside of your visual field will appear quite normal, but the center of your visual field will look wavy, hazy or dim. There may be some blind spots in your visual field. This symptom generally comes on quite suddenly.
What causes this condition?
Many cases are idiopathic, meaning that the exact cause is unknown. However, stress is thought to play a big role in the development of the condition. Caffeine use, high blood pressure, and use of steroids increases an individual's risk of central serous retinopathy.
Do people with central serous retinopathy recover?
As long as prompt treatment is sought, the prognosis is generally good. With treatment, most patients' vision slowly improves as fluid drains out of the macula and the retina heals. Within a few months, most patients' vision is completely back to normal.
Those who do not seek treatment, however, may suffer from detachment of the retina. This causes profound blindness and requires visual repair, with varying degrees of successful vision restoration.
How is central serous retinopathy treated?
If the condition is not too severe, your eye doctor may simply recommend changing the lifestyle factors that may be contributing to the condition (such as failing to regulate stress or taking steroids). The fluid may then simply drain away from the eye on its own. If this does not work, or if the condition is severe, a procedure called laser photocoagulation may be performed. This involves using a laser to "shut" the area from which the fluid is leaking. Another possible treatment, known as photodynamic therapy, involves exposing the eyes to special compounds that kill only the damaged cells in the retina and macula. Both of these treatments are rather straightforward and have short recovery times.
If you experience sudden wavy, blurry vision in the center of your visual field, be sure to seek treatment from your eye doctor promptly. As long as central serous retinopathy is diagnosed and treated promptly, you should have your vision back within a few weeks to a few months.
To learn more, contact an optometrist like Dr. Sanjay Khurana.
