Hyper Tension Revealed

Hypertensive Retinopathy: Diagnosis and Prevention

Retinopathy is a disease in the eye that affects the retina. It is caused by a formation of light-sensitive cells in the back portion of the eyes. Nerve cells in the retina interpret everything that you see in the form of electrical impulses and these electrical impulses sent to the brain are then translated.

Many blood vessels are contained in the retina and abnormalities in these blood vessels can result in different forms of retinopathy. It can cause partial or total blindness which can develop gradually or rapidly. Retinopathy can heal on its own or it can bring permanent damage depending on the cause and its progression.

A number of retinopathy types do not have clear causes but most of them are due to other medical ailments.

Hypertensive retinopathy only occurs in people suffering from high blood pressure (hypertension). It is a result of thickening of the small arteries. Hypertension is a very serious and dangerous disease with usually no symptoms at all and hypertensive retinopathy can sometimes be discovered only during an eye exam. This is due to abnormalities in arteries like blocking of the retinal blood vessels causing them to bleed. This will not really affect vision in the first stages but sudden high blood pressure can cause the optic nerve to swell (papilledema).

Hypertensive retinopathy does not have any symptoms but most people suffering from it complain of vision problems (blurred vision). To diagnose hypertensive retinopathy, the doctor will examine the eye using an ophthalmoscope. The doctor will then search for small areas that may appear pale, comparing it with the rest of the eye, because the pale parts mean these areas are not receiving enough blood. The doctor may also find bleeding areas because of ruptured blood vessels and sometimes swelling of the retina.

For treating hypertensive retinopathy, it is a must to lower the blood pressure. However, while this can prevent current damages to the retina some damages to the retina may persist.

Addressing the starting point of the problem, which is hypertension, is the only way to prevent hypertensive retinopathy. Regular exercise is necessary to maintain a healthy and normal weight as well as eating a healthy diet. Also, regular visitation to the doctor to monitor blood pressure is recommended.

Your doctor can also provide you medications for lowering your blood pressure once you are diagnoses as hypertensive. If your blood pressure is extremely high and if your optic nerve is swelling, you should immediately go to the hospital for proper medical attention.

Hypertension is known as the “silent killer” and it should be taken seriously. Proper knowledge about this disease can help you prevent other diseases, such as hypertensive retinopathy, that are linked with it.