{"id":4321,"date":"2019-10-29T09:56:31","date_gmt":"2019-10-29T09:56:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/neoretina.com\/blog\/?p=4321"},"modified":"2025-12-04T08:47:36","modified_gmt":"2025-12-04T08:47:36","slug":"epiretinal-membrane-symptoms-causes-and-treatment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/neoretina.com\/blog\/epiretinal-membrane-symptoms-causes-and-treatment\/","title":{"rendered":"Epiretinal Membrane Symptoms, Causes, and Treatments"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An Epiretinal Membrane or ERM is a condition in which a clear, transparent and very thin layer of fibrous cellular material forms on the surface of the retina. The macula is affected in this condition and it causes blurred or distorted vision.<\/span><!--more--><\/p>\n<h3><b>Epiretinal Membrane Symptoms<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Loss of central vision<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Blurred or distorted vision<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Problems in reading or recognizing faces<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Straight lines start to appear wavy<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Double vision<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Epiretinal Membrane Causes<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the majority of cases,<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/neoretina.com\/education\/retina\/macular-pucker.html\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Epiretinal membranes<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> happen as a part of the normal aging process in which changes occur inside the eye. It is common in people who are over the age of 50. The key cause of this condition is the vitreous gel peels away from the retina. It may also form following a retinal or eye surgery. In some cases, Epiretinal Membrane is related to conditions like eye inflammation, diabetes, blockage of a blood vessel, etc.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Epiretinal membrane Diagnosis<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Most cases of Epiretinal membrane are diagnosed during a routine eye test. Your optometrist can use<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/neoretina.com\/blog\/optical-coherence-tomography-indications-and-uses\/\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ocular Coherence Tomography (OCT)<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. It is an imaging method used by an ophthalmologist to measure the severity of the condition. In some patients, an eye doctor can suggest additional testing like fluorescein angiography to determine other underlying retinal problems that might have caused this problem.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Epiretinal Membrane Treatment<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Most cases of Epiretinal membrane are diagnosed during a routine eye test. Your optometrist can use<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/neoretina.com\/blog\/optical-coherence-tomography-indications-and-uses\/\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ocular Coherence Tomography (OCT)<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. It is an imaging method used by an ophthalmologist to measure the severity of the condition. In some patients, an eye doctor can suggest additional testing like fluorescein angiography to determine other underlying retinal problems that might have caused this problem.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Epiretinal Membrane Treatment<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not all Epiretinal Membranes need treatment. Early epiretinal membranes without any visual disturbances can be observed. Treatment with any eyedrops or tablets is ineffective and unnecessary, In severe cases that effect vision, surgery is required. Your eye care professional will help to decide if surgery is necessary and appropriate for you.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Epiretinal Membrane Surgery<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vitrectomy is carried out to<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/neoretina.com\/education\/surgical-procudure\/vitrectomy-risks.html\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">treat Epiretinal Membrane<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. In this surgery, local or general anesthetics are administered. The surgeon makes tiny cuts and removes the clouded vitreous gel from inside. If needed, the doctor gently peels away the membrane from the retina. The cuts are stitched, and an eye pad or shield is put over the eye at the end of the surgery.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Epiretinal Membrane After Effects<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A successful surgery helps to correct the distortion of the central vision. After the surgery, your eye doctor will prescribe eye drops to protect the eye from infection and help the eye settle. Most people notice a decrease in their vision distortion and better clarity of the vision after the operation which might take few months as remodeling of retinal layers occurs.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Epiretinal Membrane Precautions<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Avoid unhygienic environments.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Stay away from things or instances that can put the eye at risk of injury.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Use eyewear to protect the eye.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You need to place your head in a certain way for some time in a day, at least for a few days after the surgery.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Epiretinal Membrane Risks<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Like any other surgery, epiretinal membrane surgery involves certain risks, which include bleeding, infection, cataract, retinal detachment, increased eye pressure, etc.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Epiretinal Membrane Recovery<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The eye stitches dissolve naturally in about three to six weeks. The eye pads are removed the morning after the operation. The majority of people need at least two weeks off work following their surgery for recovery. You can observe improvement in vision following the operation, but it may take a few months to stabilize the vision.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>An Epiretinal Membrane or ERM is a condition in which a clear, transparent and very thin layer of fibrous cellular material forms on the surface of the retina. The macula is affected in this condition and it causes blurred or distorted vision.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4323,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"image","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[228,227,226],"class_list":["post-4321","post","type-post","status-publish","format-image","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-retina","tag-and-treatment","tag-causes","tag-epiretinal-membrane-symptoms","post_format-post-format-image"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Understanding Epiretinal Membrane: Causes and Treatments<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Epiretinal Membrane or ERM causes blurred or distorted vision. 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