What Is Posterior Vitreous Detachment (PVD)?

PVD sounds rather scary! After all, anything that has the word “detachment” in its name surely can’t be anything good…

Thankfully, this is a fairly common condition that, unlike its more worrying cousin—retinal detachment—doesn’t come with a vision loss risk (phew). Nonetheless, because many of the initial posterior vitreous detachment symptoms are virtually the same as a detached retina, it’s crucial to go for an eye check within 24 hours of noticing any changes.

PVD is, in a nutshell, caused by age-related changes in the vitreous gel. This is the jelly-like substance that fills the void in the eye between the lens and the retina. PVD detachment means that this gel comes away from the retina, something that naturally occurs as the gel shrinks with age.

This causes typical symptoms of:

• Seeing flashing lights in your vision, which might be more noticeable in low-light environments
• Sudden floaters appearing or an increase in number

It doesn’t hurt, and it doesn’t cause any other changes in the quality of your eyesight.

How PVD is Treated

Once you’ve been assessed and PVD diagnosed, the treatment is usually a case of waiting for the symptoms to subside. This happens over weeks and months. Once the vitreous has completely detached from the retina, the brain simply learns to ignore the symptoms. When settled, the flashes of light will probably disappear completely. Any large floaters can be easily treated by a process called YAG laser. This is fast, painless, and carried out in the doctor’s office. But, to be honest, most people don’t need this unless the floaters are in the direct line of vision or particularly annoying.

PVD vs. Retinal Detachment

While PVD doesn’t threaten your eyesight, retinal detachment is a totally different story. As the name suggests, this is where the actual retina separates from the back of the eye, and this can have serious consequences.

The retina is a thin lining of cells at the back of the eye that receive and transmit the light that enters the eye. It plays a crucial part in the mechanism of light signals transferring to the optic nerve, where they travel to the ocular center in the brain to be converted into eyesight. If this link is interrupted, then vision is threatened.

Symptoms of retinal detachment are very similar, with the sudden appearance of floaters and seeing flashes of light. But, crucially, these can also be accompanied by a dark shadow or “curtain” descending from the top or top corner of your vision. While this is absolutely a medical emergency, it can be preceded by a retinal tear before detachment occurs. A small tear may or may not have any symptoms.

Up to 15% of people with PVD are also diagnosed with a retinal tear. This is why it’s so important to seek urgent assessment if you experience symptoms. Treating a retinal tear before it gets worse or evolves into a retinal detachment is far preferable and has a very positive outcome. Additionally, if you’ve been diagnosed with PVD and at any time after that suddenly have new symptoms, you should seek urgent assistance. This is because there is a small chance of a delayed retinal detachment that occurs weeks or even months after the PVD event.

Regular eye examinations play a key role in spotting any type of eye issues before they become problematic. For Florida residents, the West Boca Eye Center offers a one-stop-shop for everything vision-related, from routine checks to urgent PVD diagnosis, cataract surgery to cutting-edge retinal detachment care, and everything in between.

Find out more at https://www.westbocaeyecenter.com/services and call today to book a consultation.

Posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) is a common age-related change that can cause new floaters and flashes. Learn symptoms, how it’s treated, and how to tell PVD from a retinal tear or retinal detachment.