Hypertensive retinopathy is an eye condition in which high blood pressure damages the layer of tissue at the back of your eyeball (retina). High blood pressure means blood is pushing with more force than normal against your artery walls. Over time, this pressure can damage your arteries and interfere with blood flow to various parts of your body.
With hypertensive retinopathy, high blood pressure disrupts normal blood flow to your retina. Your retina needs enough blood to do its job day in and day out. It’s a crucial job: your retina helps translate light entering your eye into images you can see. You need healthy retinas for good vision. Lack of proper blood flow damages parts of your retina, potentially leading to vision loss and other complications.
Hypertensive retinopathy is common among adults over age 40 because its cause (high blood pressure) is common. Researchers estimate hypertensive retinopathy affects anywhere from 4% to 18.7% of adults who don’t have diabetes.
Most people have no symptoms. In severe cases, you may notice you can’t see things as clearly as you used to (low vision).
High blood pressure that persists over a long period of time causes hypertensive retinopathy. Raised pressure in your retina’s blood vessels leads those vessels to tighten for longer than normal (vasospasm). This abnormal tightening narrows the blood vessels’ opening (lumen) and limits how much blood can flow through to your retina. A blood vessel may narrow throughout its length. Or, it may narrow just at one point (like pinching the middle of a straw between two fingers).
Over time, your retina’s blood vessels grow stiff and thick, making it even harder for blood to flow. Continued high blood pressure further damages your blood vessels, leading to complications like vision loss.
