You & Your Health - Can Hypertension Affect Your Eyesight?

High Blood Pressure is a condition in which the force of the blood against the artery walls is too high.

Usually hypertension is defined as blood pressure above 140/90, and is considered severe if the pressure is above 180/120.

Living with High Blood Pressure or hypertension has different severe effects.

Your overall health can be adversely affected by prolonged, untreated hypertension. It can negatively impact your heart and your kidneys.

Most people are not aware that hypertension can also affect the eyesight.

High blood pressure can lead to a condition known as hypertensive retinopathy and the damage can be very serious if not addressed.

HBP can harm your eyesight in many ways

Your eyes contain many tiny blood vessels. When subjected to the long-term effects of high blood pressure, the following conditions can develop: Blood vessel damage (retinopathy): A lack of blood flow to the retina leads to blurred vision or the complete loss of sight.

The retina is a layer of tissue located at back of the eye and contains cells that are sensitive to light. These cells trigger nerve impulses that pass via the optic nerve to the brain, where a visual image is formed. When your blood pressure is too high, the walls of the retina may thicken, which restricts blood flow to the retina and limits its function, resulting in potentially permanent vision problems, including blindness.

A person with hypertensive retinopathy wouldn’t typically display any symptoms until the condition has progressed. Possible signs may include:

* Reduced vision

* Eye swellingBursting of a blood vessel

* Double vision accompanied by headaches

In most cases, an eye specialist can diagnose hypertensive retinopathy during an examination using an instrument called an opthalmoscope to examine the retina. Your doctor will look for signs of narrowing of blood vessels, spots on the retina, swelling or bleeding in the back of the eye.

Effective treatment for hypertensive retinopathy involves controlling your blood pressure. This can be done through medication and lifestyle changes. Most importantly, doctors recommend maintaining an ideal body weight, eating and healthy diet and exercising regularly as methods to lower your blood pressure.

If you are living with high blood pressure, or if you think you are, see a doctor immediately.  

Reference: Michael Hinck, Heart Beat, Flushing Hospital Medical Centre. Wikipedia.