Most of us know high blood pressure is bad for heart health, but did you know it can affect your eye health, too? In fact, high blood pressure (or hypertension) is a common cause of several serious eye problems that can lead to permanent vision loss if not caught and treated early.
To mark Hypertension Awareness Month, the team at Long Island Ophthalmic Concepts is dedicating this post to the link between high blood pressure and vision. Here’s what they want you to know about how hypertension can affect your eye health — and how regular eye exams can help prevent permanent vision loss.
Blood pressure is just what it sounds like — the force blood exerts as it circulates through your arteries. Your organs and tissues depend on a steady blood supply to bring oxygen and nutrients, but they’re designed to receive blood at a normal pressure. When that pressure is higher than normal, the added force can cause damage to your organs, including your eyes.
In fact, many hypertension-related vision problems happen when that extra force damages the tiny vessels inside your eye, particularly around the light-sensitive retina at the back of your eye. Knowing how blood pressure affects your eyes can help you take steps to prevent diseases like the four listed below.
Hypertensive retinopathy happens when high blood pressure damages the blood vessels in and around your retina. Over time, excess pressure can cause blockages or narrowing in these vessels, preventing your retina from receiving oxygen and nutrients. Sometimes, the pressure is high enough to cause the vessels to leak or hemorrhage.
In its early stages, hypertensive retinopathy may not cause noticeable symptoms, which is why it’s so important to have regular eye exams. As the condition progresses, symptoms can include blurry vision, dim vision, and permanent vision loss.
The choroid is a thin layer of blood vessels located between your retina and the outer layer of your eye. Choroidopathy happens when hypertension causes fluid to leak into this layer, causing vision distortion and scarring. Without early management, choroidopathy can cause permanent vision loss.
Retinal vein occlusion happens when one or more of the veins in the retina become blocked. High blood pressure can cause blockage by narrowing the vessels and stiffening them, impairing blood flow. RVO can also lead to retinal swelling or hemorrhages inside your eye, along with permanent loss of vision.
Your optic nerve is located at the back of your eye, and its job is to send vision messages to your brain, which in turn interprets those messages into the images we see. Like the other parts of your eye, the optic nerve needs a steady blood supply to function properly. If the vessels supplying that blood are damaged by high blood pressure, the nerve can be permanently damaged, resulting in irreversible vision loss.
The best way to reduce your risk of hypertension-related vision problems is to monitor your blood pressure and eye health. Regular physical exams help keep track of changes in your blood pressure, and if you have hypertension or are at risk of developing it, you can use a home blood pressure cuff for more regular readings.
Incorporating healthy lifestyle habits, like quitting smoking, getting regular exercise, and eating a heart-healthy diet low in saturated fats, is also important for managing your blood pressure. If you’ve been diagnosed with hypertension, be sure to follow your treatment plan closely, including taking recommended medications and having regular office visits with your doctor.
Annual eye exams are also essential. High blood pressure typically causes no noticeable symptoms in its early stages, which means your eyes could be damaged and you wouldn’t even know it. Yearly eye exams help us identify subtle changes associated with hypertension, so we can manage them before they become major problems.
Hypertension isn’t the only chronic medical issue that can affect your eyes. Diabetes, autoimmune disorders, and even nutritional deficiencies can all take a toll on your eyes and your vision.
If you have high blood pressure or another chronic health issue, having regular comprehensive eye exams is essential for diagnosing problems in their earliest stages. To schedule your exam, request an appointment online or over the phone with the team at Long Island Ophthalmic Concepts in Bellmore and Great Neck, New York, today.
