Frequently Asked Questions

No, it is not possible to see your Retina with the naked eye.Your doctor needs to examine with a special instrument called an Ophthalmoscope to examine your Retina. Usually a complete retinal examination is possible only after dilating the pupil( black portion of ur eye) with some special eyedrops.

Diabetic Retinopathy, Age related macular Degeneration, vascular occlusions, retinal detachment , epiretinal membranes, hereditary retinal disorders can all affect the Retina.

Ideally all persons above 40 years require an annual retinal examination.If you are a myope or a diabetic or hypertensive above 50 years of age, you are at higher risk of developing retinal diseases and need a regular annual dilated retinal examination.

Flashes of light can indicate a age related change in the back of your eye and needs to be evaluated.

New onset floaters( black spots) or increase in number of floaters are also a sign of retinal diseases.

A black round area in front of your eye, difficulty to read small print, change in shape or crooked appearing lines can also indicate a retinal disease.

Sudden loss of vision in one eye is also a symptom of retinal disease

Unfortunately, many retinal diseases are asymptomatic till the catastrophe strikes..for example diabetic retinopathy.This is why it is important to examine your Retina yearly or early when mild symptoms occur.

Your doctor may ask you to do an OCT of your Retina.. That is a specialised scan that gives the doctor a live cross section image of the retina so that she can pinpoint the exact problem.It also helps to quantify swelling of the Retina that will help in diagnosis and monitor treatment response
OCT angiography is a noninvasive non dye use scan that allows the do tor to visualise the blood flow through your Retina
Sometimes, you may require an dye injected angiography called a Fluorescein Angiography for more detailed evaluation of the blood vessels .There is also another dye angio called ICG angiography that will help your doctor to evaluate the blood vessels in a deeper layer of the eye called the choroid.

The choice and frequency of the Investigations depends on the retinal disease that you have.

Diabetes can affect the small blood vessels of your Retina ...this is called diabetic retinopathy.It causes decrease in blood flow to Retina and causes damage to the vessel walls.This in turn causes seepage of fluid into the layers of the retina called Macular Edema and new blood vessels in the Retina called neovascularization. Macula edema causes slow decrease in vision and new blood vessels bleed and cause Sudden decrease in vision.Diabetic retinopathy if detected early and treated on time, blindness can be prevented.All diabetics should have a yearly dilated eye examination even if they are asymptomatic.

Since the Retina is a specialised tissue and situated at the back of eye, diagnosis and treatment is not simple.It requires specialised imaging equipment and targeted methods of drug delivery to give the best results.So retinal treatment is usually more expensive than routine eye examinations and treatment.However, now there are many options to reduce overall cost to give you the best care.Your doctor will be able to help you choose options that are best suited for your disease and your economic concerns.

The blood vessels of your eye reflect the state of your blood vessels in other parts of the body.A retinal examination gives valuable clues to the doctor regarding systemic conditions like hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes, other conditions like SLE, TB and a whole lot of other conditions.In addition to this, Retina gets affected in many genetic and hereditary conditions that are multisystem involving and retinal examination is required for a clue to the diagnosis and also for preventing loss of vision.

Inflammation of the black part of your eye that you see in the centre( the Uvea that consists of iris, ciliary body and choroid) is called Uveitis.
Since it is a group of complex and difficult to treat diseases with multiple causes, an expert evaluation and sometimes long term treatment is required for these conditions. Treatment is usually done in close cooperation with a rheumatologist.

Yes, children can develop a very difficult and complicated Uveitis due to various causes.Paediatric Uveitis needs to be treated by a Uveitis and Retina specialist with experience in treating them along with a Paediatric rheumatologist or it can cause irreparable vision loss for your child.

A Retinal disease that occurs in Preterm Infants that results in complete loss of vision is called ROP. Screening of these babies' eyes shortly after birth by a trained ROP specialist and timely treatment of the condition can prevent ROP blindness.