Question

How dose the blood vessels in the back of retina is affected by hypertension?

Answer 1

The retina is the tissue layer located in the back of your eye. This layer transforms light into nerve signals that are then sent to the brain for interpretation. 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.

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).

Symptoms of Hypertensive Retinopathy

You probably won’t have any symptoms until the condition has progressed extensively. Possible signs and symptoms include:

reduced vision

eye swelling

bursting of a blood vessel

double vision accompanied by headaches