Hypertensive retinopathy

[Oralee]

Hypertensive retinopathy is damage to the retina (the transparent, light-sensitive structure at the back of the eye) caused by high blood pressure.
When blood pressure is high (a condition called hypertension), the retina may become damaged. Hypertension damages the small blood vessels in the retina, causing their walls to thicken, which decreases the amount of blood that can flow through them. As a result, the blood supply to the retina is reduced. 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. Even mild hypertension may damage the retinal blood vessels if it goes untreated for years.
If blood pressure becomes dangerously high (called hypertensive emergency), the retinal veins can become dilated and twisted, and the optic disk (where the optic nerve meets the retina) may swell (called papilledema).