How can high blood pressure effect eyesight? Well simply put, while the most common problems associated with hypertension or high blood pressure relate to the heart, there are also extra complications which can occur to other areas of the body such as our eyes. High blood pressure can cause a condition called hypertensive retinopathy which is characterized by damage to the retinal blood vessels. This can cause problems with blood supply to the eyes which in turn can cause any number of vision related problems, including in extreme cases, blindness.
Symptoms of hypertensive retinopathy include narrowing of the blood vessels around the eye, swelling of the optic nerve, vision problems and headaches and if left untreated can certainly result in a permanent loss of sight. High blood pressure is an extremely dangerous condition and it is vitally important that you consult with your doctor if you suspect you are suffering from it. Any damage caused to your eyes by hypertensive retinopathy is generally permanent so the only option is prevention rather than cure.
It is therefore very important that we deal with high blood pressure and make sure to take our prescribed medications and eat the appropriate food such as fruit and vegetables. It is also possible to strengthen the muscles around our eyes and ensure we have good blood flow around them by undertaking some simple eye exercises which will not only strengthen our eye muscles but will benefit our vision also. There are various techniques you can use, most of which only take 2 or 3 minutes from your day.
