Nearsighted? You may be at risk for a retinal detachment.

Photo of actual retinal tear with detachment.

 http://www.retinaeye.com/retinaldetachment.html

Did you know that a nearsighted(myopic) eye is longer than the average eye?  The higher the prescription is, the longer the eye tends to be.  This means that the retina has to stretch thinner to cover the inside of a nearsighted eye than it does for an average eye.  A thinner retina is at higher risk for a retinal tear, hole or detachment.   A retinal tear or hole allows fluid to leak under the retina which can then cause the retina to pull away, or detach, from the back wall of the eye.  Retinal detachments can cause permanent vision loss if not treated immediately.  Some sign/symptoms of retinal detachment include: flashes of light, an increase in number of new floaters, a curtain or shadow coming over your vision, and/or sudden loss or change in peripheral vision.  However, sometimes retinal detachments do not have any symptoms at all.  So have you eye checked regularly to ensure that your retinas are healthy and intact! - Dr. Zollman

Diagram of a retinal tear (1) with an associated retinal detachment (2)

 http://www.retinaeye.com/retinaldetachment.html