The retina is easy to take for granted until something goes wrong with it. This thin layer of tissue at the back of the eye is what actually captures the images you see and sends them to your brain. When it’s healthy, you don’t think about it at all. When it isn’t, the effects on your vision can be sudden and serious. At Illinois Eye Center, retina care is one of our core specialties, and understanding the basics of what we treat, why specialized evaluation matters, and when to seek care can make a real difference in protecting your sight.
What Does Retina Care Involve?
The retina converts light into the electrical signals your brain interprets as vision. Because it’s made up of delicate blood vessels and light-sensing cells, it’s vulnerable to conditions that can develop slowly over years or threaten vision within hours. Retina specialists are ophthalmologists who complete fellowship training beyond residency, focused specifically on diseases of the retina, macula, and vitreous. That extra training matters because retinal conditions often require advanced imaging and treatment decisions that go well beyond a routine vision exam.
Diseases of the Retina
Several retinal conditions account for most of the vision loss we see and treat.
Diabetic retinopathy develops when elevated blood sugar weakens the small blood vessels feeding the retina, causing them to leak or bleed. It’s a leading cause of vision loss in adults with diabetes, and it can progress with few or no early symptoms, which is why anyone with diabetes needs a dilated retinal exam at least once a year. When treatment is needed, anti-VEGF injections such as Avastin, Eylea, Eylea HD, and Vabysmo are the most common first step, helping to reduce leakage and swelling and, for many patients, stabilize or improve vision.
Retinal detachment occurs when the retina pulls away from the back of the eye. It’s a true emergency. Left untreated, it can cause permanent vision loss within days. A sudden increase in floaters, flashes of light, or a shadow or curtain across your field of vision are all reasons to be seen immediately.
Floaters and flashes on their own are often harmless, caused by normal changes in the gel-like vitreous as we age. But a sudden change is different from a gradual one, and only an exam can tell the two apart.
Age-related macular degeneration, or AMD, is one of the leading causes of vision loss in adults over 60, and it deserves a closer look.
A Closer Look at Age-Related Macular Degeneration
AMD affects the macula, the part of the retina responsible for the sharp, central vision you rely on for reading, driving, and recognizing faces. It comes in two forms. Wet AMD, which accounts for roughly 10% of cases, involves abnormal blood vessel growth beneath the retina and is treated with anti-VEGF injections that can stabilize or, in some cases, improve vision. Dry AMD is more common and has historically been harder to treat, especially once it progresses to geographic atrophy, a more advanced stage involving permanent loss of retinal tissue.
That’s changed in recent years. FDA-approved complement inhibitor injections, including Syfovre and Izervay, now give retina specialists a way to slow the progression of geographic atrophy in appropriate candidates. These medications work by targeting proteins in the complement system, part of the immune response, that contribute to retinal cell damage in advanced dry AMD. They don’t reverse damage already done or restore lost vision, but for the right patient, slowing progression means preserving vision for longer, which can be significant. Your retina specialist will evaluate the stage of your disease, the extent of atrophy, and your overall health to determine whether you’re a candidate.
Treatments like these are a good example of why this field keeps evolving. Illinois Eye Center’s retina physicians are continuously training on new and emerging treatments so that as options like these become available, our patients have access to them close to home.
Who Provides Your Retina Care Matters
Illinois Eye Center’s vitreoretinal specialists are Min-Kyu Han, MD, and Omar Iqbal, MD. Both are board certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology and completed fellowship training in vitreoretinal disease and surgery beyond their ophthalmology residencies. Dr. Han has been with Illinois Eye Center since 2011 and sees patients in Peoria and Pekin. Dr. Iqbal joined the practice in 2023 and sees patients in Peoria and Washington. Both treat the full range of retinal disease, from AMD and diabetic retinopathy to retinal detachment, using in-office diagnostics and treatment so most care happens close to home.
When to See a Retina Specialist
Some retinal conditions call for urgent same-day evaluation: a sudden shower of new floaters, flashes of light, a shadow or curtain in your peripheral vision, or a sudden drop or distortion in your central vision. Others call for regular monitoring even when nothing feels wrong, particularly if you have diabetes, a family history of AMD, or are over 60. If your primary eye doctor identifies a retinal concern during a routine exam, a referral to one of our retina specialists is the next step toward getting the right diagnosis and treatment plan.
Your retina does a lot of quiet work to keep your vision clear, and catching problems early is almost always what makes treatment more effective. If you’re experiencing symptoms, or it’s simply been a while since your last dilated exam, contact Illinois Eye Center to schedule a visit with our retina team. Click here to set an appointment or call us directly at 309-243-2400 to be seen sooner if you experience a sudden change in vision.