What is BRVO?
There are arteries and blood vessels running throughout our entire bodies, including the eyes. The arteries and veins hold blood and fluids that travel through the body. In the retina, there is one main artery and one main vein. When branches in the retinal vein become blocked and build-up pressure, it is called branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO). When the vein becomes blocked, it can affect your vision and lead to retinal neovascularization (growth of abnormal blood vessels). Blood and fluids will spill out into the retina. The macula can swell from all of the fluids and obstruct the central vision (macular edema). BRVO can also lead yo a vitreous hemorrhage if left untreated.
Most people are aware that high blood pressure is not good for you, as it can affect many parts of your health. But what most people don’t realize is that high blood pressure can affect their eyesight and cause damage to the eyes. At Boston Vision, our team of specialists can help to diagnose and treat this condition before you lose your vision.
BRVO is different from central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) because CRVO is a blockage in the central retinal vein. BRVO occurs in the branches in this retinal vein.
Symptoms of BRVO?
The symptoms of branch retinal vein occlusion may affect only part of the eye or the full eye. These visions can happen gradually or suddenly. The symptoms of BRVO include:
- Blurry vision
- floaters
- Vision loss
Risk Factors for BRVO
Branch retinal vein occlusion is more common in people over the age of 50. People with certain health problems such as high blood pressure, diabetes, glaucoma, and hardening of the arteries are at a higher risk for this eye condition. To help lower your risk of BRVO, you should exercise regularly, maintain a healthy weight, eat a low-fat diet, and be a nonsmoker.
Treatment for BRVO
Your ophthalmologist at Boston Vision will dilate your pupils to see if there are any signs of BRVO. They also may want to test your blood sugar and cholesterol levels. If you do have BRVO, then a treatment plan will be created. Though BRVO cannot be cured, there are ways to help keep your vision stable. If your BRVO is not advanced, then your ophthalmologist may want to use some medicated injections (that contain vascular endothelial growth factor) into the eye to prevent the swelling of the macula. If it is more advanced, a laser treatment may be used to help protect the macula from leaking fluid and to treat macular edema. Your ophthalmologist will go over all treatment options with you during a consultation appointment.
Schedule a Consultation
It is important to get your eyes checked regularly, especially as you get older. This way, your eye doctor can catch any signs or symptoms of BRVO early on to help protect your vision. If you are in need of an eye exam, contact Boston Vision today. To schedule your appointment, book online with us to get started.
