High blood pressure is a condition wherein the blood circulation in your body happens at a high rate and exerts a higher pressure than is considered normal. This carries many implications that can also cause adverse effects on your eyes as they are the most sensitive organ in the body. Many parts of the body can easily get affected by hypertension and can cause eye diseases, all of which are detailed below.
Retinopathy
The specific retinopathy relating to that of high blood pressure is known as hypertensive retinopathy- when the blood vessels at the back of your eye get damaged. This condition can lead to blurred or a complete loss of vision when it develops to a more severe stage. There are no specific symptoms of mild or moderate hypertensive retinopathy and can only be diagnosed during a routine eye check-up. As for accelerated retinopathy, you can expect severe headaches and eye pain in particular, from time to time that needs to be brought to your eye doctor’s attention.
When your specialist examines your eyes, they look for bleeding at the back of the eye, narrowing blood vessels as well as any swelling of the optic nerve. If any of these signs are found, you will be advised to bring your blood pressure into control as soon as possible as that is the best start to treating the condition. You can prevent hypertensive retinopathy altogether by maintaining a healthy lifestyle and diet which can prevent hypertension as well as diabetes and obesity that can further aggravate the condition.
Choroidopathy
At most times, when blood flows at a higher pressure in the body, it leads to fluid accumulation in the eye. This leads to the condition known as Choroidopathy. This is known as the fluid buildup under the retina of the eye, which is a light-sensitive tissue present at the back of your eyeball. This leads to a blurred vision or even scarring that impairs your eyesight completely.
Although the causes of this condition remain unknown, conducting regular eye examinations can be helpful especially for patients diagnosed with hypertension. Chronic stress and steroid drug use have been widely accepted as risk factors and therefore must be carefully dealt with to avoid such chronic complications. A quick visit to an eye hospital can help with early diagnosis and prevent complications.
Optic Neuropathy
When high blood pressure damages the optic nerve of the eye that sends visual information and cues to the brain, it results in optic neuropathy. This happens due to a restricted or interruption of blood flow to the eyes that kills nerve cells and causes either a temporary or at times permanent vision loss. Such a restriction is usually made by excess fat and cholesterol lining up the nerve or a tumor that is growing near it.
Upon early diagnosis, treatment can prove to be effective for this condition. It is also to be kept in mind that when a similar blockage happens in your heart and it experiences a stroke, vision loss can also be diagnosed then which subsequently leads to optic neuropathy. It is therefore necessary to have an eye specialist diagnose any of the symptoms beforehand to avoid dire consequences in the future.
Conclusion
Your eyes can be affected by high blood pressure that can further cause many conditions to persist. These diseases can cause lifelong damage and impair your eyesight altogether. In order to prevent most of these conditions, early diagnosis is very helpful and can be ensured by conducting regular eye examinations. To do so, book an appointment with our ophthalmologists at Ebsaar Eye Surgery Center and preserve the health of your eyes today.