Hypertensive Retinopathy
Hypertensive retinopathy is damage to the retina as a result of high blood pressure.
When blood pressure becomes high, as it does in hypertension, the retina may become damaged. Even mild hypertension may damage the retinal blood vessels if it goes untreated for years. Hypertension damages the small blood vessels in the retina, causing their walls to thicken and thereby narrowing the blood vessels' openings and reducing the blood supply to the retina. Patches of the retina may become damaged because the blood supply is inadequate. As hypertensive retinopathy progresses, blood may leak into the retina. These changes lead to a gradual loss of vision, particularly if they affect the macula, the central part of the retina.
A doctor makes the diagnosis using an ophthalmoscope to see the typical appearance of the retina in a person with high blood pressure. When blood pressure is extremely high, doctors may be able to see other changes in the eye, such as swelling of the front of the optic nerve.
The goal of treatment is to lower the blood pressure. When high blood pressure is severe and life threatening, treatment may be needed immediately to save vision and avoid other complications, including stroke, heart failure, kidney failure, and heart attack.
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