A retinal tear is a rip in the layer of light-detecting cells at the back of your eye. It’s an emergency that can lead to permanent vision loss if not treated quickly.

A retinal tear can cause you to see stars, flashes of light, and specks or squiggles floating across your eye. The retina is a light-sensitive part of the eye that transmits images to the brain.

When a retinal tear occurs, a person may notice a sudden increase in floaters, dark spots in their vision, or flashing lights. Learn more about symptoms and when to get help.

Retinal tears can lead to retinal detachment, or detachment can occur due to other causes. Learn the symptoms, treatment, and outlook for these conditions.

A retinal tear is when there is a tear in the “movie screen,” but it’s not bad enough where the screen sags or comes down. A detachment is when the “movie screen” does sag or come down.

As with retinal tears, the vitreous inside of the eye shrinks as we age. As it continues to shrink, a small portion of retinal tissue may be torn off of the retina, leading to a retinal hole. If left ...

But a rapid onset of many eye floaters and flashes could indicate that a retinal tear has occurred, and a tear in the retina can lead to a retinal detachment, which is a medical emergency.

If your retina has a hole or tear, but has not started to detach, you won’t need those procedures. Your doctor may advise the following methods, though, to repair the hole. Laser surgery is one way.

Retinal tears are typically treated with cryotherapy, in which the retina is frozen to induce scar tissue around the tear. Low-risk tears in people without symptoms might not require any treatment.