Hypertensive Retinopathy

When your blood pressure is too high, the retina’s blood vessel walls may thicken. This may cause your blood vessels to become narrow, which then restricts blood from reaching the retina. In some cases, the retina becomes swollen.

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Over time, high blood pressure can cause damage to the retina’s blood vessels, limit the retina’s function, and put pressure on the optic nerve, causing vision problems. This condition is called hypertensive retinopathy (HR).

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The following conditions put you at a higher risk for HR:

• prolonged high blood pressure
• heart disease
• atherosclerosis
• diabetes
• smoking
• high cholesterol
• being overweight
• eating an unhealthy diet that’s high in fat proteins, trans fats, sugary foods, and sodium
• heavy alcohol consumption

(Source: Excerpts from https://www.healthline.com/health/hypertensive-retinopathy#symptoms)

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Learn more:

• American Heart Association: https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/high-blood-pressure/health-threats-from-high-blood-pressure/how-high-blood-pressure-can-lead-to-vision-loss
• Medline Plus: https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000999.htm
• VeryWell Health: https://www.verywellhealth.com/hypertensive-retinopathy-3422174
• Web MD: https://www.webmd.com/hypertension-high-blood-pressure/guide/eye-disease-high-blood-pressure