How to protect your eyesight if you suffer from high blood pressure
Hypertension and your eyesight
Hypertension, or high blood pressure, affects a terrifyingly large portion of
the population in the UK. Some people are more at risk than others for
developing high blood pressure, but everyone should consider their risks. A
person is never too young to consider management of their blood pressure and it
is never too early to take measures to avoid problems with it in the future.
Whilst hypertension is a disease caused by overexertion on the heart, it
affects the rest of the body as well, and therefore should be controlled when at
all possible. One of the areas that can be affected by a repeated elevation in
blood pressure that few people consider is the ocular region - your eyes.
Everyone needs their eyes to see, and they are frequently affected when blood
pressure is elevated frequently. This disease is known as hypertensive
retinopathy. The following information is a guide to educate those who do not
already know about hypertensive retinopathy, and furthering education of those
who wish to learn more.
What is Hypertensive Retinopathy?
Hypertensive retinopathy is a condition that occurs only with the constant
increase of high blood pressure. Damages occur as a result of the increased
blood pressure, and the vessels in and around the eye, especially retinal blood
vessels are affected and results in retinal change. Changes in the retina affect
the vision, as the eye relies on the retina to bring things into focus.
Hypertensive retinopathy has also been known to be associated with damage to the
optic nerve and choroid, the vascular layer beneath the retina.
What are the Symptoms of Hypertensive Retinopathy?
In most cases, hypertensive retinopathy is asymptomatic, meaning the patient
will not experience any symptoms. This means that a person who could be at risk
for hypertensive retinopathy should be routinely examined by an ophthalmologist
or optometrist, as they should be able to determine whether or not the eye is
being affected. However, in a few cases the patient will experience headaches or
notice their vision changing, a good indication that blood pressure could be
affecting the eyes. Even when there are no symptoms, it is easy for a doctor to
diagnose, so routine checks are extremely important.
The Diagnosis of Hypertensive Retinopathy
Hypertensive retinopathy is diagnosed through using a technique that dilates
the eye, performed by a trained physician that specializes in ocular diagnoses
and treatments. An ophthalmologist uses a special diagnostic tool called an
ophthalmoscope that directs light into the back of the eye and the structures
are then viewed easily.
Your doctor will likely look for signs of retinopathy that include narrowing
of the blood vessels, fluid leaking or oozing from the blood vessels in the
retina, retinal spots that resemble cotton wool, swelling of the optic nerve,
and blood in the back of the eye that could be pooling or actively leaking.
These symptoms will suggest to your doctor that you may be suffering from
hypertensive retinopathy and they can then propose a plan of treatment that can
help to stop the process.
Treatment and Prevention of Hypertensive Retinopathy
Unfortunately, hypertensive retinopathy is currently untreatable. Many
physicians believe that once the damage has been done to the retina, the vision
is permanently affected. Irreversible retinal damage will affect the rest of a
person's life, and they are at higher risk for developing a wide variety of
other retinal problems in the future, such as retinal vein occlusion and macular
degeneration.
If there is any suspicion that hypertensive retinopathy could become a
problem, prevention is the best course of action. People should keep their blood
pressure down, using a variety of techniques that are designed to keep their
blood pressure within normal limits. This could mean cutting back on salt,
leading less stressful lives, exercising more or losing weight as
necessary.
Lowering blood pressure or avoiding hypertension altogether takes little
effort, and is mostly based on consistency. Good vision is only one reason to
keep your blood pressure at bay, the rest of the body will also benefit from
good choices and a healthy heart.
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