Detached retinas and aging. Age brings an increased risk of experiencing a retinal detachment. As we age, the vitreous gel in the middle of the eye begins to shrink and pull away from the retina. While normally no problems occur, sometimes it can cause a tear in the retina as the gel pulls away. This occurrence is the most common cause of rhegmatogenous detachments. Symptoms of this age-related condition are the same as other retinal detachments and include seeing flashing lights or an increase in floaters.
