Health Topic

Retinal Disorders

The retina is a layer of tissue in the back of your eye. It senses light and sends images to your brain. Learn about retinal disorders and treatments.

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Important: This page is general information, not medical advice. It does not recommend or prescribe any treatment. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.

About Retinal Disorders

Retinal disorders are conditions that affect the retina, the thin light-sensitive tissue at the back of your eye. The retina senses light and sends signals to your brain so you can see.

Retinal disorders can cause blurred or distorted vision. Some can lead to vision loss or blindness.

The causes of retinal disorders vary. Aging is a common factor, but other things can raise your risk, such as if you:

  • Smoke
  • Have obesity
  • Have health conditions like diabetes or high blood pressure
  • Have had an eye injury or trauma
  • Have a family history of retinal disorders

Some common retinal disorders include:

  • Macular degeneration. Occurs when the macula (the center of the retina that helps you see fine details) breaks down. There are two types: wet and dry macular degeneration.
  • Diabetic retinopathy. Occurs when diabetes damages small blood vessels in the retina, causing them to swell or leak.
  • Retinal detachment. Occurs when the retina pulls away from the back of the eye. This is a medical emergency.
  • Retinal tears. A hole or break in the retina caused when the gel-like substance inside your eye (the vitreous) pulls away.
  • Retinoblastoma. A rare cancer of the retina that most often affects young children.
  • Macular pucker. Scar tissue that forms on the macula and distorts vision.
  • Macular hole. A small opening in the macula, often related to aging or injury. It can blur or distort central vision.
  • Eye floaters. Small specks, cobwebs, or threads that drift across your vision. These are more common with aging.
  • Retina pigmentosa. A group of inherited disorders (passed down through families) that slowly damage the retina and cause loss of night and side (peripheral) vision.

Symptoms can vary, but most retinal disorders affect your vision. Common symptoms include:

  • Blurred or distorted vision
  • Loss of central or side (peripheral) vision
  • Flashes of light
  • Seeing floating specks or cobwebs
  • Trouble seeing at night
  • Sudden vision loss (in severe cases)

Seek medical care right away if you notice flashes of light, sudden vision changes, or a sudden increase in eye floaters. These can be signs of a serious retinal problem.

Eye care providers check for retinal disorders with a dilated eye exam. Eye drops are used to widen your pupils so your provider can look at the retina for signs of damage.

They may also do other tests, such as:

  • Optical coherence tomography (OCT) to take detailed pictures of the inside of your eye.
  • Fluorescein angiography to check the blood vessels in your retina.
  • Visual field tests to measure your side (peripheral) vision.

Some retinal disorders can be treated to slow or stop vision loss, and sometimes to restore vision. Treatment depends on the cause and severity. It may include:

  • Laser therapy
  • Medicine or eye injections
  • Surgery
  • Lifestyle management to control health conditions such as diabetes or high blood pressure

Not all retinal disorders can be prevented. Some are related to aging or genetics. But you can protect your eyes by:

  • Wearing safety goggles or sunglasses
  • Getting regular eye exams
  • Making healthy lifestyle changes, such as: Quitting smoking (or not starting)
  • Managing diabetes and blood pressure

It sits within Eyes and Vision.

The lead U.S. institute for this subject is the National Eye Institute.

When to speak to someone. Reading about a topic cannot tell you whether it applies to you. Speak to a doctor or pharmacist if symptoms are severe, sudden, getting worse, or simply not going away — and seek emergency care immediately for chest pain, breathing difficulty, sudden weakness or confusion, or a serious allergic reaction.

Research on Retinal Disorders

4,258 studies areregistered for this condition on ClinicalTrials.gov, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's public registry. A selection is below — the links go straight to the registry entry, not to a summary of ours.

What a registered study does and does not mean. Registration means a study exists and has been declared publicly. It says nothing about whether the treatment being tested works, is safe, or is available to you. Many studies find no benefit — that is what research is for. Never seek out an experimental treatment on the strength of a registry entry alone.

Research currently under way

Research already completed

Study data from ClinicalTrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 2026-07-30. Registry entries are supplied by study sponsors and investigators; ClinicalTrials.gov does not verify their scientific validity. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH.

Where to read more

Rather than paraphrase, we point you to the primary sources. Every link below is to a government health agency, a national institute or a recognised medical body — grouped by what you are trying to find out.

Symptoms

Diagnosis and Tests

Treatments and Therapies

Genetics

Statistics and Research

Clinical Trials

Medical subject headings

Clinicians and researchers index this subject under Retinal Diseases. These are the terms to use when searching medical literature.

This page is built from the MedlinePlus health topic record for Retinal Disorders, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health. Information is from MedlinePlus.gov. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and is not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH. Retrieved 30 July 2026.