Retinal infection – Types, Symptoms, Risk factors, and Treatments

Introduction

The retina is a light-sensing tissue located at the back of the eye. The Retinal infection damages the retina and disturbs its function. When Retinal infection is unnoticed, it causes blindness.

Retinal infection has no cure till now, but you can prevent eyesight issues. Let’s discuss the types of Retinal infections that affect the human eye.

Types of Retinal diseases 

Retinal infections are of various types. A few among them are described here. 

Retinal tear  

A Retinal tear occurs when there is shrinking and tugging of a gel-like substance in the eye called vitreous in the retina. The tugging of the vitreous pulls apart the retina from its actual position. There occurs a tear in the retina due to this action. The Retinal tear can cause symptoms like the appearance of floaters and sudden flashes. 

Retinal detachment 

A Retinal detachment is caused due to Retinal tear. The fluid beneath the retina enters through the Retinal tear and detaches the retina from its tissue layers.

Diabetic retinopathy 

The tiny capillaries in the blood vessels of the eye can degenerate and leak fluid into the retina. It swells the retina, causing blurry and distorted vision. This condition is often noticed in diabetic patients.

Epiretinal membrane 

An epiretinal membrane is a semi-translucent fibro cellular tissue found on the retina’s inner surface. When this membrane pulls up on the retina, it distorts the vision, making objects appear crooked or blurred.

Macular hole

The macula is round area found in the centre of the retina. It is a part of the retina which processes what is seen directly by the eyes. This part plays a crucial role in producing vision.

Though a Macular hole is a minor defect observed at the back of the eye, treatment is necessary for a cure. Macular hole is a hole develops between the retina and the vitreous (macula) due to an injury in the eye.

Macular degeneration 

The deterioration of the eye which causes the appearance of a blind spot in the centre of the visual field of the eye is called Macular degeneration. It is of two types—dry macular degeneration and wet Macular degeneration. Most people will experience dry macular degeneration and then wet Macular degeneration in one or both eyes.

Retinitis pigmentosa

It is a genetic disorder and affects the retina’s ability to respond to light, causing a slow loss of vision.

Symptoms of Retinal infection

People with Retinal infections feel the following symptoms.

Eye pain that worsens after surgery 

After the eye surgery, the eye may be swollen, red or tender for several weeks. There occurs some pain in the eye, and the vision may be blurry for a few days after the surgery.

If the patient is not being careful, they will get affected by the eye infection and suffers from eye pain. This infection may cause Retinal infection.

So, taking rest before doing the normal daily activities is recommended for quick recovery.

Eye redness 

The common symptom of Retinal infection is red eye. Red eyes are caused due to conjunctivitis, corneal ulcers, dry eye syndrome, subconjunctival bleeding, etc.

Eye redness refers to the red appearance of the eye. It happens because the blood vessels in the eye get swollen or dilated. The duration of the red eye depends on the severity and cause.

White or yellow pus 

When the eye is infected, it leads to the discharge of white or yellow pus. It indicates a bacterial infection in the eye. It is strictly advised to get checked by a doctor before it leads to a severe problem.  

Swollen  

Swollen eye is an indication of infection. Never rub your eye when it is swollen and itchy because rubbing your eye with an uncleaned hand, result in bacterial infection. The bacterial infection affects Retina.

Blurry vision 

Stressing the eye results in blurry vision. Retinal infection like a macular hole, macular degeneration, etc., leads to blurry eyesight.

Astigmatism, Presbyopia, near-sightedness and far-sightedness causes blurry vision. Stressing your eyes may lead to the severity of these problems. Getting doctor’s advice is appreciable.

Loss of vision 

Cataracts, Retinal infections, Macular degeneration, Macular hole, uncorrected refractive errors, blockage of the artery of the retina, etc., are to be diagnosed. If the former conditions are not diagnosed and treated, it results in a loss of vision.  

Risk factors of Retinal infection 

The risk factors of Retinal infection are discussed below.

Ageing

Ageing causes retinal degeneration, cataracts, temporal arteritis, etc. These may lead to Retinal infection.

 These problems are seen in ageing eyes. These eye problems are mostly noticeable in older people.

Smoking

Smoking leads to retinal detachment, cataracts, glaucoma, uveitis, etc., which will cause Retinal infection. When these diseases left untreated, it results in permanent vision loss. 

Being obese 

Morbid obesity causes higher inner eye pressure, which increases the risk of glaucoma, Diabetic retinopathy, maculopathy, etc., causing Retinal infection and leading to vision loss.

As per the Beaver Dam Eye study, the elevated pressure inside the eye (may cause damage in Retina) is called intraocular pressure, which is linked with obesity.

Having Diabetes

Diabetic retinopathy is a complication that affects eye due to Diabetes. It is caused due to increase in high blood sugar levels. Too much sugar in a body damage the retina of the eye. 

Eye trauma 

An injured eyelid fails to cover the eye completely, resulting in dryness, infection etc. The front part of the eye is injured when it is traumatised, but occasionally it damages the retina without much damage to the front part of the eye.

A family history of Retinal diseases 

Retinal dystrophies, Retinitis pigmentosa, Batten disease, Alport syndrome, etc., are hereditary Retinal diseases that damage the retina. The inherited Retinal disease caused due to the improper function of a gene.

Treatments of Retinal infection  

To reduce the effects of eye infection and to prevent loss of vision, specific treatments are mentioned here.

Using a laser 

Barrage laser is used in this treatment. This treatment is done to strengthen the retina. This treatment prevents the retinal detachment as it seals the weak areas of the retina.

The surgeon will put anaesthetic drops to numb the eye during the surgery. Then a highly focused laser beam is used to seal the tissue around the Retinal hole to reduce the Macular hole and Macular degeneration.

Shrinking abnormal blood vessels

Scatter laser photocoagulation treatment shrinks bleeding blood vessels and block the blood flow in the retina.  This treatment is recommended for the patients suffering from Diabetic retinopathy.

By shrinking those abnormal blood vessels, the Retina gets an ample amount of oxygen, reducing blurry vision.

Freezing

The treatment is called cryopexy. This treatment is done to stop the expansion of the Retinal tear. The surgeon will put anaesthetic drops to numb the eye in this process. Then a freezing probe is placed near the tear, forming a scar around it. This treatment keeps the tear in its place. 

Injecting air or gas into your eyes  

Injecting gas into the eye is called vitrectomy. It is done to cover the retina’s defect, helping it to heal.

Indenting the surface of your eye

Indenting the surface of your eye is to estimate the elastic response of the eye globe and its tissues to the compression exerted externally.

Evacuating and replacing the fluid in the eye 

A semi-translucent fluid vitreous is replaced with saline solution in the defected eye. This surgery causes some pain in your eye. It requires 2 to 4 weeks of rest, after the surgery. The vision will be temporarily blur until the eye recovers.

Injecting medicine into the eye 

Intravitreal injection is injected into the infected eye. When the medicine in intravitreal injection mixed with the vitreous fluid, it will treat the injury from inside.

Implanting a Retinal prosthesis

A usable synthetic retina will be implanted in the place of defective or detached retina for patients with vision impairment.

Diagnosis of Retinal infection 

The following list is of diagnosis of Retinal infection.  

Amsler grid test

Amsler grid test reveals the defect or missing spot in the eye’s visual field. It detects the visual problem in the retina in the back of the eye. 

Optical coherence tomography 

Optical coherence tomography is an imaging method. It is used to generate a picture of the retina using a noninvasive laser.

Fundus autofluorescence 

This test is done to know the Retinal pigment epithelium (a layer of the retina) health by imaging the retina.

Fluorescein angiography

A special dye is used to look at the blood flow in the retina and choroid with the help of a special camera.

Indocyanine green angiography 

This test is done to diagnose the choroidal blood flow and associated pathology.

Ultrasound  

This procedure may be used to test the abnormalities in the eye like Retinal detachment and lesions behind the eye.

CT Scan  

CT Scan is done to identify the anatomical area of the infection. To know the area of infection in retina, CT scan is taken.

MRI Scan  

MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) scan gives information about the eyes, ears and brain defects.

When to see a doctor?

An eye infection leads to discomfort in the eyes, and it often leads to fever and pain in the eye. When a person suffers from pain, they are advised to see a doctor immediately.

FAQ

How long does it take for eye infections to heal? 

Most eye infections get cured on their own in a few days. But when eye pain, blurry vision or pus discharge is noticed, getting a check-up with a doctor is advised.

How do you know if you have infection in your eye?

One can find an eye infection through the following symptoms.
1 ·Itching
2 ·redness
3 ·swelling
4 ·white or yellow or green pus discharge
5 ·a blind spot in the vision field
6 ·blurry vision, etc.
 are indications that one has an eye infection.

Can you get sepsis from an eye infection?

The presence of lethal microorganisms in the body tissues result in sepsis, and the body’s response to their existence denotes the severity of the sepsis. Bacterial infection in the eye causes sepsis.

Can bacterial eye infection spread to the brain?

Eye infections like conjunctivitis spread to other areas of the body. It triggers more severe diseases like meningitis.