What is a retinal detachment?
The retina separating from the wall of the eye, which threatens vision if it is not treated. The warning sign is often a sudden increase in floaters, new flashes of light, or a shadow or curtain moving across the vision, and it needs urgent assessment rather than a routine appointment.
- Subject
- Eye conditions
- Topic
- Retina & macula
- Kind of question
- What is…
- Last reviewed
- 22 September 2026
This answer explains what the symptom commonly indicates. If it has come on suddenly, or together with pain or loss of vision, seek urgent care rather than waiting for an appointment. This page cannot examine your eye.
In more detail
This is the symptom pattern where the timing genuinely matters. Treatment is far more effective before the central retina is involved, so “sudden” plus “floaters, flashes or a curtain” is a reason to act today.
What this answer depends on
- How sudden the change was
- Whether a shadow or curtain is present
- Whether you are short sighted or have had previous eye surgery
Related guides
People also ask
The questions readers move to next from this one: the closest subjects first, from either question bank.
Where this answer sits
It is one of 483 answers in the vision and eye health knowledge base, filed under Eye conditions & diseases in Retina & macula . The subject page carries the answers either side of it, and the hub is searchable.
Subjects this question touches
The pages that answer the subject behind the question, rather than the question itself.
- Condition Glaucoma
- Condition Keratoconus
- Condition Retina and macula conditions
- Condition Diabetic eye disease
- Condition Eye infections, allergies and injuries
This information is for educational purposes and does not replace an examination by a qualified eye-care professional.
General answers cannot tell you what is happening in your own eyes. Only an examination by a qualified ophthalmologist can do that.
Sources & further reading
We prefer primary sources. Where a claim comes from a manufacturer, a single study or a regulator, it is labelled as such below.
- EyeSmart: eye health information for the public
Patient-facing material from the largest ophthalmology professional body, covering conditions, tests and treatments outside refractive surgery.
Used for Cross-checking patient-facing explanations of non-refractive eye conditions; Describing what tests such as dilation and OCT involve.
Link checked 23 September 2026
- Cataracts in adults: management (NG77)
Clinical guidance on when cataract surgery is indicated, what should be discussed before it, and what follow-up is expected.
Used for When cataract surgery is considered appropriate rather than cosmetic timing; What patients should be told before cataract surgery.
Link checked 23 September 2026