High blood pressure is a medical condition that can affect many other organs of our body including our eyes. The adverse effects of this disease can damage and lead to many eye disorders. hence, it is important to be educated on the importance of controlling blood pressure to prevent these diseases.
High Blood Pressure
Hypertension or in general, high blood pressure is a long-term medical condition resulting from the elevation of the blood pressure in the arteries. It is classified under two sections namely primary hypertension and secondary hypertension where 90-95% cases fall under primary hypertension.
This condition occurs mainly due to lifestyles and genetic factors. The rest of the 5-10% is secondary hypertension which is due to an identifiable cause like endocrine disorder, chronic kidney disease, etc. Long-term high blood pressure can result in major risk factor diseases out of which vision loss is one of the main risk factors.
Hypertension and Eyes
Hypertension can damage tiny, delicate blood vessels that supply blood to your eyes resulting in numerous condition like;
- Ocular Hypertension – This is a condition where the eye is having an elevated fluid pressure inside. This elevated intraocular pressure is one of the major risk factors for glaucoma conditions.
- Hypertensive Retinopathy – Damage to the retina in the back of your eye as a result of hypertension which can lead to blurred vision, bleeding in the eye, and vision loss.
- Optic Neuropathy – A nerve damage that can cause as a result of blocked blood flow causing eye bleeding and vision loss.
- Choroidopathy – Fluid building up under the retina which can lead to distorted vision.
Signs And Symptoms
Most of the time these conditions show no symptoms unless tested in an eye clinic. However in certain cases, one might develop eye pain, headache, or reduced clarity of vision. If you are having hypertension and are taking medication, the ophthalmologist advises regular visits to the eye clinic to check your eye pressure and to make sure the pressure is under control. They also advise taking necessary precautions and treatments for hypertension to keep it under control and avoid getting any complications in the eye.
Practices To Follow
You can practice a few daily routines to keep your blood pressure under control. Maintaining a healthy diet with a reduction of sodium intake and rich in fruits and vegetables, regular exercises, and maintaining normal body weight will help you in this. Also, the limitation of alcohol consumption and the intake of prescribed medicine on time are some of the ways that you can make sure to avoid or to keep hypertension in control.
Diagnosis And Preventive Measures
If you are already suffering from Eye health issues due to hypertension, your ophthalmologist will be able to diagnose your condition. During a regular eye exam at an eye clinic, your ophthalmologist will measure the eye pressure using a device called a tonometer to diagnose ocular hypertension. Similarly, using an ophthalmoscope the ophthalmologist will look for signs of hypertensive retinopathy and optic neuropathy whereas choroidopathy can be diagnosed through a Fluorescein angiography.
When it comes to treatments, for Ocular hypertension the patient is treated with medications like eye drops or laser where it will lower the intraocular pressure, and the laser will increase the outflow. However, there are no other treatments for these eye issues except controlling your overall blood pressure. Therefore it is important to identify the impact of Hypertension on your eye health and adhere to necessary preventions to control it.
Our best ophthalmologists and eye specialists in Dubai at the Spanish Eye Clinic are committed to your eyesight and will support you to manage your overall eye health.
