POSTERIOR VITREOUS DETACHMENT

Diagnose Posterior Vitreous Detachment in Edmonton

Posterior vitreous detachment, also called PVD, is a common age-related eye disease. Although it’s a painless condition that doesn’t threaten your vision, you shouldn’t ignore it if it occurs. Optometrists Clinic Inc. provides posterior vitreous detachment testing and treatment in Edmonton and the surrounding area. If you’re experiencing a change in your vision, we can help you find the cause and appropriate treatment. Contact us today to book a general exam.

What Is Posterior Vitreous Detachment?

Your eyeballs are filled with a vitreous gel. The gel is contained in a sac that sits against the light-sensitive retina at the back of the eye. The gel sac helps keep your eye inflated, just like a basketball. Over time, this gel becomes more fluidic and shrinks, pulling the vitreous sac away from your retina.

Symptoms of Posterior Vitreous Detachment

PVD is painless and occurs slowly, so you may not even know it’s happening. However, there are symptoms to look for. An increase in “floaters” in your vision indicates that gel fibres inside your eye are clumping together. The clumps form a shadow in your retina, which appear as strings or flecks in your vision.

Additionally, as the vitreous sac pulls away from the retina, you may experience flashes of light, usually at the sides of your field of vision.

PVD, by itself, doesn’t cause any major vision problems. However, in rare situations, the gel sac pulls so hard that the retina gets torn. This can lead to significant vision loss. The symptoms of PVD and retinal detachment can be very similar. That’s why, if you experience sudden increased floaters and see light flashes, you should schedule an eye exam at Optometrists Clinic Inc. immediately.

Who Is at Risk?

PVD happens naturally as we age. Some people can experience PVD symptoms in their 40s, although the majority of cases are in people in their 50s or 60s.

Causes of PVD

PVD is an age-related condition, but other causes include myopia (nearsightedness), eye trauma, or complications due to eye surgery. If you experience PVD in one eye, chances are you will develop PVD in the other eye within a year.

Posterior Vitreous Detachment Treatment

There’s no cure or treatment for PVD. Eighty-five percent of patients with PVD experience a reduction in symptoms after about three months from the initial onset. However, in some people, the floaters can remain noticeable for years. They will be more obvious in certain lighting conditions, particularly bright backgrounds such as outside a sunny or overcast day, or reading under bright light.

Get Eye Care for Posterior Vitreous Detachment in Edmonton

At Optometrists Clinic Inc., our eye doctors have the training and the equipment to detect posterior vitreous detachment and retinal detachment. We provide a whole range of eye care services for people of all ages, including pediatrics. Contact us today to book a general eye exam at one of our clinics in Edmonton, Leduc, and Westlock.