Around 10,000 people suffer a detached retina each year. Find out more about this common but relatively unknown condition. By Gabrielle Fagan.

CORONATION Street character and aspiring boxer Ashley Peacock has recently had his sight threatened by a blow to the eye, resulting in a detached retina.

The TV soap plot has highlighted a rare but serious condition which affects about one in 10,000 people a year.

James Bainbridge, consultant opthamologist at Moorfields Eye Hospital, explains: "The retina is like the camera film at the back of the eye and sends visual messages back to the brain. If it is damaged and becomes detached the sight in that eye can be seriously affected or lost."

Retinal detachment can affect a variety of age groups but is most common in the middle-aged, and also in the very short-sighted, diabetics or those who suffer a blow to the eye or head.

Bainbridge says: "There is probably a lack of awareness about the condition and because early treatment is essential to save sight, people should be aware of symptoms that can be a warning that the retina is detached."

The most common are a shadow or curtain spreading across the vision of one eye, flashing lights in one eye, or an unusual amount of 'floaters' - small black dots - in front of the eye.

The specialist points out that while most people experience floaters in their vision, "it is a sudden shower of them, or an amount that is unusual for them which could be significant".

Most age-related retinal detachment is caused by a degeneration of the vitreous jelly at the back of the eye. This may result in retinal tears which can lead to detachment.

Tears in the retina can be fixed with laser or freezing treatment, while an operation is needed for retinal detachment.

This is successful in more than 95% of cases, with the majority of people having vision restored to normal.

Checking for retinal detachment is part of routine eye testing by optometrists. Sukhdeep Khurl, optometrist at Specsavers Opticians (www.specsavers.co.uk), says: "It isn't a common condition but in the last eight months I have had two cases, both of whom were middle-aged.

"I don't think people are sufficiently aware of this condition which, though unusual, is serious. It is something they should be alert for if they have been in an accident affecting their head or eye."

What is retinal detachment?
When retinal detachment develops, a separation occurs between the retina and the wall of the eye at the back of the eye. This is similar to wallpaper peeling off a wall.

The part that is detached (peeled off) will not work properly, and the picture that the brain receives becomes patchy or may be lost completely.

An operation is necessary to replace the detached retina in its proper position.

What are the symptoms?
People often describe seeing "something black" or "a curtain", "cobweb" or "flashing lights".

In older people, these do not necessarily indicate a serious problem, but the sudden appearance of floaters and flashes requires a full eye examination to exclude the presence of retinal holes or tears.

What causes a retinal detachment?
Nearly all retinal detachments develop because of a hole or tear in the retina.

This usually occurs when the retina becomes 'thin', which can occur in short sighted people, or if the vitreous (the jelly-like substance that fills the eye) separates from the retina.

Other eye or health problems caused by injuries like a blow to the eye, or diabetes can occasionally be the cause of a retinal detachment.

Cataract operations can also cause retinal detachment.

If I have a detached retina in one eye will I get it in the other?
For some people with a retinal detachment in one eye there is a greater possibility of this happening in the other eye.

Any symptoms demand a prompt eye examination by an eye doctor.

Both eyes will be examined and preventive treatment may be recommended.

Will I be able to see properly again?
If the operation to re-attach your retina is successful, you will be able to see again but the quality of your vision may not be as good as previously.

Gas or silicone fluid in the eye may mean the retina does not function fully immediately after an operation and recovery of sight can be a gradual process.