A retinal detachment is a medical emergency. The photoreceptor layers detach from the choroid that supplies blood and nourishment to the cells responsible for sight. A small tear can steadily fill with fluid and become larger, resulting in wider areas of cell death and vision loss unless treated immediately by a retinal specialist.
People with high myopia, macular degeneration, or that play high contact sports are more likely to experience retinal detachments. Old age contributes to risk as our tissues become more fragile, so detachments tends to be more common in individuals over the age of 45.
