Retinal Vein Occlusion Specialist

What is retinal vein occlusion?

Retinal vein occlusion is diagnosed when you have blockage of the small veins that carry blood away from your retina, the part of your eye responsible for transmitting light to your brain to form images. 

Conditions like retinal vein occlusion affect your ability to see. It can cause swelling of the macula, the part of your retina responsible for seeing fine details. 

It can also cause your retina to develop new, abnormal blood vessels that cause you to see spots or floaters in your field of vision. These new blood vessels can cause a dangerous increase in the pressure inside your eye. 

Eventually, complications of retinal vein occlusion can result in irreversible loss of vision.

Retinal vein occlusion can occur in the main retinal vein or in the smaller branch veins. Central retinal vein occlusion refers to a blockage in the main retinal vein.

What causes retinal vein occlusion?

Retinal vein occlusion is most often a result of atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries. These hardened arteries are thought to invade on nearby veins, causing the occlusion. Risk factors for retinal vein occlusion include:

• Diabetes
• High blood pressure
• Glaucoma

What are the symptoms of retinal vein occlusion?

Retinal vein occlusion symptoms range from mild to severe. 

You may have a painless loss of vision or blurring of eyesight. You might only notice it in one eye. At first, your vision changes may be slight, but they may worsen over the next few hours or days. Some people suddenly lose their vision entirely. 

How is retinal vein occlusion treated?

There’s no way to unblock retinal veins, but you can treat underlying health problems contributing to your retinal vein occlusion.

Vision can improve in eyes with retinal vein occlusion, but it may take a year or more. 

Treatment for the condition includes injections of specialized drugs to discourage fluid buildup in the macula. Injection of corticosteroids into the eye area can reduce inflammation. Focal laser therapy and pan-retinal photocoagulation therapy help reduce inflammation and discourage new blood vessel formation. 

If you’ve been diagnosed with retinal vein occlusion, call Advanced Retina to set up an appointment today. Use this website to reach out with any questions.