How High Blood Pressure Can Impact Eye Health

High blood pressure or hypertension is a common condition that can negatively impact your heart and kidney. But did you know that, if left untreated, hypertension can also wreak havoc on your overall eye health? According to vision therapy doctors, hypertension can lead to damage to the blood vessels in your retina and lead to an eye disease known as hypertensive retinopathy. 

The Symptoms of Hypertensive Retinopathy

Even a person that is diagnosed with hypertension won’t typically experience symptoms associated with mild to moderate hypertensive retinopathy. In fact, you probably won’t have any symptoms at all until the condition has progressed significantly. 

That’s why it is very important to visit your vision therapy doctor regularly to conduct an eye exam where it can be discovered early. The possible signs of severe hypertensive retinopathy will usually include reduced vision, eye swelling, and double vision accompanied by headaches. Hypertensive retinopathy also commonly occurs during pregnancy.

How To Treat Hypertensive Retinopathy

As with most eye conditions, prevention is often the best cure. You can prevent Hypertensive Retinopathy by keeping your blood pressure under control and sticking to a healthy diet. If you are diagnosed with hypertension, be sure to take your medications as prescribed and see your eye doctor regularly for follow-up care. 

If you develop Hypertensive Retinopathy, your eye doctor may prescribe diuretics, beta-blockers, and ACE inhibitors. Keep in mind, however, that if you let your condition worsen, you may develop irreversible eye damage.

Insight Vision Center Optometry is your trusted source of scleral lenses. If you’re not able to wear regular eyeglasses (or don’t want to), be sure to give us a call at (714) 486-3315 or fill out our online contact form to schedule an appointment today. We treat patients from Newport Beach and Costa Mesa, CA, as well as its surrounding communities.