| Most people know high blood pressure
and other vascular diseases pose risks to overall health,
but many may not know that high blood pressure can affect
vision by damaging veins in the eye. High blood pressure
is the most common condition associated with BRVO. About
10 to 12 percent of the people who have BRVO also have
glaucoma (high pressure in the eye).
Branch retinal vein occlusion blocks small veins in
the retina, the layer of light-sensing cells at the
back of the eye. If the blocked retinal veins are ones
that nourish the macula, the part of the retina responsible
for straight-ahead vision, some central vision is lost.
During the course of vein occlusion, sixty percent or
greater will have swelling of the central macular vision
area. In about one third of people, this macular edema
will remain for over one year.
BRVO causes a painless decrease in vision, resulting
in misty or distorted vision. If the veins cover a large
area, new abnormal vessels may grow on the retinal surface,
which can bleed into the eye and cause blurred vision.
There is no cure for BRVO. Finding out what caused
the blockage is the first step in treatment. Your ophthalmologist
may recommend a period of observation, since hemorrhages
and excess fluid may subside on their own. Depending
on how damaged the veins are, laser surgery may help
reduce the swelling and improve vision. Laser surgery
may also shrink the abnormal new blood vessels that
are at risk of bleeding.
If you have had a branch retinal vein occlusion, regular
visits to your ophthalmologist are essential to protect
vision. |
