Retinal Vascular Disease

What is retinal vascular disease?

Your retina is the part of your eyeball that absorbs the light that enters your eye and turns it into signals that travel through your optic nerve to your brain, allowing you to see. Your retina also has a complex network of tiny blood vessels that delivers oxygen and other essential nutrients to your eyes.

When you have a problem with those blood vessels, such as a blockage or leakage, you have retinal vascular disease. For example, common types of retinal vascular disease include:

• Diabetic retinopathy

• Retinal artery occlusion

• Retinal vein occlusion

• Hypertensive retinopathy

Your risk of retinal vascular disease increases if you have other health issues that affect your vascular health, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, kidney disease, or high cholesterol.

What are the symptoms of retinal vascular disease?

Depending on your condition, you might not have any noticeable symptoms, especially in the early stages of your retinal vascular disease. However, you may have symptoms, including:

• Blurry vision

• Floaters

• Fluctuating vision

• Reduced color perception

• Dark or empty areas in your vision

• Vision loss

If you experience vision loss, call Eye Surgeons Associates or go to your nearest emergency room.

It’s critical to have comprehensive eye exams, including retina screenings to diagnose retinal vascular disease early and get the treatment you need before your vision is damaged.

How is retinal vascular disease treated?

The ophthalmologists and retina experts at Eye Surgeons Associates offer customized treatment depending on your specific needs. For example, if you are diagnosed with retinal artery or vein occlusion, you may need to take medication such as blood thinners, anti-VEGF, or corticosteroids. These drugs can improve your circulation, prevent abnormal blood vessel growth, and reduce swelling in your eyes.

Patients with diabetic and hypertensive retinopathy may also benefit from anti-VEGF medication. Your ophthalmologist may also recommend photocoagulation or panretinal photocoagulation to shrink the abnormal blood vessels in your eyes and slow or stop the leakage of blood and other fluids. They may also suggest a vitrectomy to remove blood, other fluids, and scar tissue from your eyes. You should also make sure to control your diabetes or high blood pressure to reduce your risk for persistent retinopathy.

If you’re concerned about retinal vascular disease, call Eye Surgeons Associates or make an appointment online today for a thorough exam and personalize treatment.