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Patricia Shank
Retinal Disease
NewView Eye Center offers comprehensive eye exams and can evaluate retinal concerns. For diagnosis and treatment of retinal conditions, we recommend consultation with a retinal specialist.
What Is Retinal Disease?
The retina is one of the most important structures in the eye, and problems with it can affect your vision in serious ways. At NewView Eye Center, serving patients throughout Northern Virginia, our board-certified eye doctors diagnose, monitor, and manage a wide range of retinal conditions and provide in-office laser treatment for symptomatic floaters. We are not a retina surgery practice — when a condition needs injections or retinal surgery, we refer you to a trusted retina specialist and continue to co-manage your eye care alongside them.
Understanding how the retina works, what can go wrong, and when to seek care can help protect your sight for years to come.
Risk Factors and Who Is Affected
Retinal disease can affect people of all ages, but certain health conditions, family histories, and lifestyle factors increase the risk. Some risk factors cannot be changed, but others can be managed through medical care and daily habits knowing which apply to you is the first step toward protecting your long-term vision.
Common Types of Retinal Conditions
01
Age-Related Macular Degeneration
One of the leading causes of vision loss after 50. Dry AMD is a slow breakdown of the macula; wet AMD involves leaking blood vessels and faster vision loss.
02
Diabetic Retinopathy
High blood sugar damages the retina's blood vessels, causing leaking, swelling, or fragile new vessels that bleed — a leading cause of vision loss in working-age adults.
03
Retinal Vein Occlusion
A blocked vein leaks blood and fluid into the retina, causing swelling and vision changes. High blood pressure, diabetes, and glaucoma are common risk factors.
04
Macular Holes & Macular Pucker
A small break or a layer of scar tissue on the macula — both can make straight lines look wavy and blur central vision.
05
Retinal Detachment
A medical emergency in which the retina separates from its blood supply. Without prompt treatment, it can cause permanent, severe vision loss.
06
Inherited Retinal Diseases
Genetic conditions such as retinitis pigmentosa and Stargardt disease that affect photoreceptors, often causing night blindness or narrowing side vision.
How the Retina Works
Think of the retina like the sensor inside a camera: light enters through the cornea and lens, then lands on the retina, where millions of photoreceptors called rods and cones convert it into electrical signals that travel through the optic nerve to the brain. Rods help you see in dim light and detect motion at the edges of your vision, while cones are packed into the macula the small, specialized region at the center of the retina you rely on for reading, driving, and seeing fine detail. Because the retina has a limited ability to repair itself, damage that builds up over time can result in lasting vision changes if it isn't caught early.
Treatment Options for
Retinal Disease
The right treatment depends on the specific condition, its stage, and your overall health. Our eye doctors provide in-office laser treatment for symptomatic floaters, along with ongoing monitoring and lifestyle support for many retinal conditions. More involved treatments — including injections, advanced laser procedures, and retinal surgery — call for the specialized training of a retina specialist, and we coordinate a prompt referral whenever that level of care is needed.
Diagnosis and Eye Imaging
Diagnosing retinal disease relies on a combination of clinical examination and specialized imaging. Modern technology allows our eye doctors to detect problems earlier and monitor changes more precisely than ever before.
01
Dilated Eye Exam
Eye drops widen the pupil for a clear view of the retina, optic nerve, and surrounding structures often revealing disease before symptoms appear.
02
Optical Coherence Tomography
Light waves create detailed cross-sectional images of the retina in just a few painless minutes, revealing swelling, fluid, or structural changes.
03
Fluorescein Angiography & OCTA
A safe dye is photographed as it travels through the retinal blood vessels or imaged dye-free with OCTA to reveal leakage or abnormal vessels.
04
Genetic Testing
When an inherited retinal disease is suspected, genetic testing identifies the exact mutation to help guide treatment and clinical trial options.
When to See an Eye Doctor
Knowing when to schedule a routine exam versus when to seek urgent care is important for protecting your vision expand each section to learn more.
Adults over 60 and people with diabetes should have a dilated retinal exam at least once a year, even when vision seems normal. If retinal disease runs in your family, ask how often you should be screened.
A sudden shower of new floaters, flashes of light, or a shadow moving across your vision can signal a retinal tear or detachment. Don't wait to see if symptoms improve contact an eye doctor or go to the emergency room right away.
We diagnose and monitor conditions like AMD, diabetic eye disease, and macular holes, and we treat symptomatic floaters in-office with laser vitreolysis. We are not a retina surgery practice, so when a condition needs intravitreal injections or retinal surgery, we coordinate a timely referral to a trusted retina specialist.
Living With a Retinal Condition
A retinal diagnosis does not mean vision loss is inevitable. With the right care plan, consistent monitoring, and healthy daily habits, many patients maintain good vision for a long time. Attending every scheduled appointment and monitoring your vision at home with an Amsler grid between visits helps catch changes early, and low vision rehabilitation is available if vision loss has already occurred.
Lifestyle Habits That Support Retinal Health
Symptoms and Warning Signs
Retinal disease does not always cause noticeable symptoms in its early stages, but over time you might notice blurry vision, trouble reading, or straight lines appearing wavy a hallmark sign of macular problems. Some symptoms are urgent: a sudden increase in floaters, new flashes of light, or a dark shadow spreading across your vision can signal a retinal tear or detachment. Time matters in these situations go to the emergency room or contact an eye doctor immediately if they occur.
Frequently asked questions
Everything you need to know about retinal disease and how NewView Eye Center can help.
Not all retinal diseases can be prevented, particularly those caused by genetics or the natural aging process. However, your risk for many conditions can be meaningfully reduced. Controlling blood sugar and blood pressure, avoiding smoking, staying at a healthy weight, and attending regular eye exams give your eye doctor the best chance to catch problems early, when they are most manageable.
Our eye doctors are board-certified comprehensive ophthalmologists — physicians who diagnose and manage a broad range of eye conditions, including many retinal diseases, and who perform in-office laser treatment for symptomatic floaters. A retina specialist is a physician who completed additional fellowship training in medical and surgical diseases of the retina and vitreous after ophthalmology residency. We are not a retina surgery practice, so if our eye doctors identify a condition that needs injections or retinal surgery, we refer you to a trusted retina specialist and continue to co-manage your care alongside them.
Most floaters are the result of normal age-related changes to the vitreous gel inside the eye and do not threaten vision. However, a sudden increase in the number of floaters, especially when combined with flashes of light or a shadow across your vision, can signal a retinal tear or detachment. If you notice a sudden change in your floaters, do not wait for a routine appointment — contact our office or go to an emergency room the same day.
This depends entirely on the condition. Some forms of retinal disease are chronic and require ongoing management over many years. For wet AMD and diabetic macular edema, a retina specialist may administer anti-VEGF injections for extended periods, though the time between injections often increases as the condition stabilizes. Conditions like macular holes may be addressed with a single surgical procedure, though follow-up monitoring with our eye doctors is still important afterward.
When our eye doctors refer you to a retina specialist, we will provide your records and imaging to ensure a smooth handoff. The retina specialist will review your history, perform their own examination, and discuss treatment options with you directly. We continue to co-manage your overall eye health throughout the process so that your care is never interrupted.
Dilation drops cause temporary light sensitivity and may blur your near vision for a few hours. Most patients can drive after dilation, but sensitivity to bright sunlight can make it uncomfortable — bringing sunglasses to your appointment helps. If you are unsure how dilation affects you personally, arranging a ride is a reasonable precaution.
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