Oops! I sneezed and my retina detached

We often encounter patients with various eye diseases, such as those who develop glaucoma after staying up all night watching TV series, and those who suffer retinal detachment from playing basketball, riding roller coasters or even sneezing. Today we will talk about retinal detachment, which most people don't know about.

Why does sneezing trigger retinal detachment?

When you sneeze, the air flows from the lungs to the mouth and then to the nasal cavity. The muscles in the neck, face, and forehead suddenly contract violently, with the force added one by one, and all completed in an instant, so when it reaches the peak, the speed is fast and the force is strong. For patients with high myopia and retinal lesions, the retina is relatively thin or has holes. Sneezing causes the vitreous to be stretched, resulting in holes in the weak parts of the fundus, and the retina may detach.

What is retinal detachment?

The retina is an important part of the eye, which includes the neuroepithelium and pigment epithelium. If the neuroepithelium and pigment epithelium of the retina separate, it is called retinal detachment.

Li Zhaohui, PhD, associate chief physician, deputy leader of the Fundus Disease Group of Hubei Province of Aier Eye Hospital Group, and deputy director of the Department of Fundus Disease of Aier Eye Hospital Affiliated to Wuhan University (Aier Eye Hospital Group Hubei General Hospital), said: Retinal detachment causes abnormal vision. If not treated in time, when the retinal detachment develops to the macular area of ​​the eye where vision is more sensitive, vision loss is more serious, and it is difficult to restore normal vision. In severe cases, blindness may even occur.

What are the symptoms of retinal detachment?

Some people have retinal detachment and are not aware of it. Generally speaking, common symptoms of retinal detachment include decreased vision, blurred vision, dark shadows in front of the eyes, flashes, a significant increase in floaters, loss of visual field, distorted vision, etc. As the disease progresses, the symptoms become more obvious and the vision loss becomes more serious.

Wu Jianhua, chief physician, associate professor, master's tutor, deputy director of the Hubei Provincial Medical Association Ophthalmology Branch, deputy leader of the Fundus Disease Group of the Hubei Medical Association Ophthalmology Branch, director of the Fundus Disease Department, and president of Wuhan University Aier Eye Hospital (Aier Eye Hospital Group Hubei General Hospital), reminds: If vision is abnormal, you should go to the hospital in time for treatment. After all, eyes are not a joke. If you miss the opportunity for treatment, the vision loss caused by retinal detachment may be irreversible.