A retinal vein occlusion is a condition that occurs when a blood vessel in the back of the eye gets blocked and causes damage to the retina which it supplies with blood. A vein occlusion is a serious eye condition that can cause permanent vision loss or visual field defects.
Retinal Blood Vessels
In the retina, there are blood vessels which are responsible for bringing oxygen and nutrients to the back of the eyes.
In the back of the eyes, there are many important structures including the retina and the optic nerve. These structures send information to the brain to communicate and produce vision from the eyes.
Since vision is an ongoing process, it requires lots of oxygen and nutrients for the cells that are responsible for transmitting information and creating vision.
These nutrients and oxygen are transported in the blood, just like the rest of the body.
Problems with Retinal Blood Vessels
There are many systemic medical conditions which can cause problems in the retina with the retinal blood vessels.
Diabetes can affect the blood vessels by increasing the amount of sugar in the blood, which can lead to damage that weakens the blood vessels or causes them to be misshapen.
High blood pressure can also weaken the blood vessels, as the continual increased pressure from the high blood pressure pushes on the blood vessels, the walls can become weak or fragile.
High cholesterol is another condition which can impact the blood vessels in the eye. The high level of cholesterol leads to build up of fatty debris in the blood vessel walls.
Each of these conditions can lead to a blockage in the retinal veins, causing a retinal veins occlusion.
Signs of Retinal Vein Occlusion
A retinal vein occlusion will cause a loss of part of the visual field which is usually perceived as an area of darkness or as if part of the vision is suddenly missing.
If the retinal vein that is blocked is the central vein, the entire visual field in that eye may be impacted but if only a branch vein is blocked, it can be a section of the vision.
A retinal vein occlusion will typically be painless and not have any sudden symptoms associated with it such as flashes or floaters.
Treating a Retinal Vein Occlusion
To treat a retinal vein occlusion, the primary goal is to maintain the vision at the current level.
To do this, an injection of medication to prevent leaking blood vessels can be given into the eye. If the vein occlusion is very severe, it may need to be treated with a laser procedure to the back of the eye.
Additionally, managing the cause of the vein occlusion is important. The other eye is likely at risk for a vein occlusion and the overall health may be compromised if a condition such as diabetes or high blood pressure is uncontrolled.
Having a complete physical examination alongside a complete eye examination is important to determine if there are any risks and what measures need to be taken to minimize the risks.
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