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Common eye diseases
Age-Related Macular Degeneration Blepharitis Cataracts Diabetes and the Eye Dry Eye	Glaucoma Flashes and Floaters Hypertension, High Blood Pressure Red Eye - Conjunctivits Styes & Chalazia

High Blood Pressure
(Hypertension) & Your Eyes

Blood pressure is the result of two forces, one created by the heart as it pumps blood into the arteries, and the other created by the arterial blood vessels as they exert resistance to the blood flow from the heart.

Hypertension, or elevated blood pressure, indicates that the heart is working harder than normal, putting both the heart and the arteries under a greater strain. This may contribute to heart attacks, strokes, kidney failure and atherosclerosis. If high blood pressure isn't treated, the heart may have to work progressively harder to pump enough blood and oxygen to the body's organs and tissues to meet their needs.

Because the eye is the only part of the body in which blood vessels can be viewed without invasive techniques, sometimes hypertension (which affects the body's entire circulatory system) can be diagnosed during an eye exam. Hypertensive eye disease can lead to blocked arteries in the eye, which can cause damage to the retina.

Does Blood Pressure Affect the Eyes
Hypertension or high blood pressure leads to many changes in the blood vessels of the body. These same changes in blood vessels affect the eyes in many ways. It can cause the following problems in the eye:

•	Hypertensive retinopathy
•	Macroaneurysms
•	Branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO)
•	Vitreous hemorrhage
•	Optic nerve involvement
•	Involvement of the nerves supplying the eye muscles, leading to temporary paralysis or weakness of these muscles.

Symptoms
Many of these conditions may not have any symptoms in the initial stages. Therefore it is important to have a periodic eye checkup to detect these.

•	Branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO) may lead to a blurring of vision especially for fine work. A vitreous hemorrhage may lead to a more severe loss of vision associated with a shower of red floaters. Optic neuropathy may also lead to a loss of vision, which is painless and not associated with any floaters.
•	Paralysis or weakness of the muscles of the eye leads to restriction of movement of the eye and double vision.
•	Paralysis or weakness of the muscles of the eye leads to restriction of movement of the eye and double vision.

Treatment
Branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO) is a condition that is commonly associated with high blood pressure and changes of hypertensive retinopathy. This condition may lead to loss of vision by two mechanisms:

•	Macular edema (swelling of the region of macula): Macula is the central region of the retina and is important for seeing fine details. A swelling in this region leads to a decrease in vision. This condition can be treated by doing laser therapy.
•	Vitreous hemorrhage: Sometimes the BRVO may lead to formation of new vessels in the retina. These vessels are abnormal and are very fragile. These may bleed and may cause vitreous hemorrhage and thus loss of vision. A timely detection of these new vessels can be treated by doing laser therapy and thus causing these new vessels to disappear.
•	Macroaneurysm: This is an uncommon manifestation of hypertension. Untreated, this may cause bleeding into vitreous and thus loss of vision. This condition can be treated by laser therapy.

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