It's important to find retinal detachments early

In the UK's Daily Mail (10/13), reporter Janette Marshall details her personal experience with a torn retina, the "first warning sign" of which "was a sudden onset of frequent flashes like cartoon lightning streaks," followed by numerous floating black spots. Eric Ezra, director of vitreoretinal surgery at Moorfields Eye Hospital, explains that "early diagnosis and treatment" of a torn retina "is essential." Without immediate treatment, "a torn retina can cause the entire retina to detach from the back of the eye, causing loss of sight," sometimes within "a matter of days or even few hours."