Introduction
The sudden painless loss of vision or even rapid blindness in one eye is a typical sign of a circulatory disorder of the retina. This represents an ophthalmologic emergency and should be treated immediately, otherwise there is a risk of permanent damage to the retina. Depending on the type of retinal vessel (retina) affected, the circulatory disorder manifests itself differently.
The occlusion of an artery is characterized by a sudden loss of vision in the respective eye. The affected person feels no pain whatsoever. The occlusion of a venous vessel, on the other hand, is far less conspicuous; the deterioration in vision usually progresses insidiously.
Only when central parts of the retina are affected by the circulatory disorder does a significant deterioration of vision occur and, as a result, a doctor should be consulted. Depending on whether a large or small vessel is affected by circulatory disorders, in both cases parts of the visual field may fail or the eye may become completely blind. Typical symptoms of circulatory disorders of the retina are suddenly occurring or increasing difficulties in
Risk factors
Circulatory disorders of the retina are the most common causes of blindness in western society. Reasons for circulatory disorders of the retina are mainly diseases of civilization such as high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity. These three factors not only lead to general diseases of the cardiovascular system such as strokes and heart attacks, but also to damage of the retinal vessels.
High blood sugar levels that persist over a long period of time (hyperglycemia) lead to chemical changes (more precisely to glycosylation) of proteins and lipids. This leads to the accumulation of these substances on the vessel wall and thus ultimately to their damage. High blood pressure (hypertension) also has a damaging effect on the vessel walls.
This should not normally exceed 140/80 mmHg. If the blood pressure exceeds this value permanently, the vessel walls are damaged. A third very common reason for damaged vessels is high blood lipid levels (hyperlipidemia).
This is especially the case when there is an excess of LDL cholesterol (the “bad” cholesterol). Sufficiently high HDL cholesterol values (the “good” cholesterol) are, however, desirable. All these factors lead to a thickening and roughening of the vessel walls and thus to a narrowing of the vessels.
This can lead to the formation of blood clots (thrombi), which in the worst case can completely block the blood vessels of the retina. Thrombi that develop in other parts of the body can also block retinal vessels if they become loose and are washed away by the blood stream to the eye. This is particularly common in atrial fibrillation. A good adjustment of blood sugar levels, blood pressure and blood coagulation, as well as blood lipid levels, is therefore the best way to avoid circulatory disorders of the retina.
