Hypertension (high blood pressure) affects about half of all American adults. While many people associate hypertension with heart disease and stroke, fewer realize that it can also contribute to eye conditions like glaucoma.
Left unchecked, high blood pressure can increase your risk of optic nerve damage and vision loss.
So, in observance of Hypertension Awareness Month, Nicanor Lacsina, OD, a board-certified physician practicing optometry, and Yelena Pinkhasova, OD, a TPA-certified optometrist, share how uncontrolled high blood pressure can lead to glaucoma and how the Bainbridge Eye Care team can help treat it.
Your eyes rely on healthy blood flow to function properly. The tiny blood vessels in your eyes can get affected when blood pressure is too high.
Two significant ways hypertension contributes to glaucoma include:
High blood pressure can increase the pressure inside your eye, which is called elevated intraocular pressure and a risk factor for glaucoma.
Your optic nerve can get damaged when pressure builds up in the eye. Without a fully intact optic nerve, you experience gradual vision loss.
Chronic high blood pressure can weaken blood vessels, reduce circulation, and deprive your optic nerve of the oxygen and nutrients it needs, making the nerve more susceptible to damage.
Glaucoma often develops without noticeable symptoms in its early stages, which is why regular eye exams are critical — especially for those with high blood pressure. Only about half of the 4.2 million people with glaucoma know they have the condition.
However, as the condition progresses, the symptoms you notice depend on which type of glaucoma you have.
Open-angle glaucoma can cause gradual symptoms, including blurry vision or gradual loss of peripheral vision. Acute glaucoma can cause sudden pain, red eyes, tunnel vision, halos around lights, bad headaches, blurry vision, and nausea.
Acute glaucoma (called angle-closure glaucoma) — a medical emergency that requires immediate care to save your vision — happens when the aqueous fluid in your eye can’t drain properly. Your lens shape or eye tumors can also contribute to this type of glaucoma. This type of glaucoma is rare and affects only two to four out of every 100,000 people. So, statistically speaking, open-angle glaucoma is more of a risk to the average American.
The good news is that managing your blood pressure can help protect your eyes from glaucoma and other vision problems. Here’s what you can do:
Blood pressure readings typically get taken during routine exams, but you don’t have to wait until your next physical to check yours. Many pharmacies and gyms have self-service kiosks, or you can use an at-home blood pressure monitor for regular tracking.
If you have hypertension or even just elevated blood pressure readings, do what you can to manage the condition. Follow a healthy diet, exercise regularly, and take medication if prescribed.
Even if you don’t have hypertension, you can still adopt healthy lifestyle habits to help prevent hypertension from ever creeping up on you — remember, it’s a silent condition!
Reduce salt and caffeine intake — both can increase blood pressure and eye pressure.
If you have chronic stress, find stress management techniques to lower your stress levels, which is important because stress can trigger blood pressure spikes that impact your eyes.
Follow treatment recommendations if you have been diagnosed with hypertension or glaucoma to slow disease progression.
During your exam, Dr. Lacsina or Dr. Pinkhasova checks your eye pressure. If you have glaucoma, we may recommend:
Because glaucoma can steal your eyesight, don't wait to reach out if you have concerns. Call 718-306-9127 to contact our team directly or request your next exam through our online scheduling system.
