Both age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and the prevalence of high blood pressure increase with advancing age. Hypertension is thought to increase the risk of AMD through damaging retinal vessels (1) or aggregate age-related vascular dysfunction (2).
As for wet AMD, it's caused by the growth of abnormal blood vessels behind the retina. These blood vessels leak, causing both fluid and blood to pool behind the retina.
If you take medication to lower your blood pressure, it's important to know that you could be increasing your risk of developing AMD, or age-related macular degeneration. These risks are significantly increased if you take Apresoline and Loniten, both of which dilate the blood vessels.
For example, early signs of macular degeneration include blurry vision, trouble seeing in dim lights, and faded-looking colors. Your eye doctor isn't the only one responsible for your eye health. It's important that you know about the early signs of eye diseases.
So, can high blood pressure cause macular edema? Yes. High blood pressure can damage blood vessels in the retina. Those with high blood pressure are at greater risk for developing a host of retinal diseases including retinopathy and macular edema.
Damage to the retina from high blood pressure is called hypertensive retinopathy. It occurs as the existing high blood pressure causes changes to the microvasculature of the retina. Some of the first findings in the disease are flame hemorrhages and cotton wool spots.
Also, don't forget to see your eye doctor regularly. Aside from hypertensive retinopathy, high blood pressure can also result in choroidopathy or fluid buildup under the retina. This eye condition can distort your vision and even cause scarring that can harm your sight.
Treatment of wet AMD requires monthly or bimonthly injections of drugs called anti-VEGF — or anti-vascular endothelial growth factor — into the eye. Anti-VEGF agents can slow or stop the growth of the leaky blood vessels and, in most cases, effectively stave off further vision loss.
The condition is rare before age 55. It occurs most in people 75 years or older. Risk factors for AMD are: Family history of AMD.
Wet AMD usually progresses quickly and vision loss can occur within days if it's not untreated. That's why it's important to have your eyes checked frequently and to perform home screenings.
High blood pressure meds are also known as hypertension medication. They have beta-blockers work in the bloodstream to counteract high blood pressure. But they can harm the lacrimal gland, leading to dry eye symptoms. Beta-blockers also seem to disrupt feeling in the cornea and can lead to overall eye irritation.
When subjected to the long-term effects of high blood pressure, the following conditions can develop: Blood vessel damage (retinopathy): A lack of blood flow to the retina leads to blurred vision or the complete loss of sight.
Smoking is the risk factor most consistently associated with AMD. Current smokers are exposed to a two to three times higher risk of AMD than non-smokers and the risk increases with intensity of smoking. Moderate alcohol consumption is unlikely to increase the risk of AMD.
Wet (exudative) AMD: accounts for 10% of AMD but results in 90% of blindness. Severe rapid visual loss occurs.
Gene therapy for wet AMD
Gene therapy is a promising alternative to ongoing eye injections of drugs such as Eyelea, Lucentis and Avastin. The goal of gene therapy is to provide a 'one-and-done' treatment by helping the eye make its own anti-VEGF medicine.
The most common treatment doctors use to slow vision loss from wet AMD is called anti-VEGF injections. These medicines help stop bleeding and leaking from blood vessels in the back of your eye. Most people with wet AMD will get anti-VEGF injections as their only treatment.
On average, it takes about 10 years to move from diagnosis to legal blindness, but there are some forms of macular degeneration that can cause sight loss in just days.
Wet AMD. For patients with wet AMD, caused by new, leaky blood vessels growing into the retina, lost vision can sometimes be regained following injections into the eye of what are known as anti-VEGF antibodies. These include the drugs brolucizumab (Beovu®) aflibercept (Eylea®), and ranibizumab (Lucentis®).
Getting Enough Treatment
All of the studies now show that, on average, patients need between six to eight shots a year. Some patients may need fewer, some patients more, but long-term, sustained treatment is important for disease control.
If you have macular degeneration, saturated and trans fats from red meat, whole milk, fried foods, and baked goods can increase your vision damage. Also limit omega-6 fatty acids from sunflower, safflower, and corn oils. Olive and canola oils are healthier cooking choices.
Medicare states that it typically covers up to 80% of the cost of specific injectable treatments for macular degeneration under Medicare Part B if a healthcare professional deems them medically necessary. Costs and approval can vary depending on a variety of factors.
In other words, once blood pressure rises above normal, subtle but harmful brain changes can occur rather quickly—perhaps within a year or two. And those changes may be hard to reverse, even if blood pressure is nudged back into the normal range with treatment.
There is no cure for high blood pressure. But treatment can lower blood pressure that is too high. If it is mild, high blood pressure may sometimes be brought under control by making changes to a healthier lifestyle.
High blood pressure and red eyes often occur simultaneously. The eyes are full of blood vessels, and they typically stiffen and join each other in instances of high blood pressure. Severe cases can lead to blood leakage and busted blood vessels, which can have many dangerous effects on the vision.