Retinal disease
26 December 2025
Retinal vascular occlusion is a condition where blood vessels supplying or draining blood from the retina become blocked, leading to vision loss.
The retina is a vital tissue that converts light entering the eye into electrical signals and transmits them to the brain, making adequate blood supply essential.
When blood vessels become blocked, retinal tissue cannot receive sufficient oxygen and nutrients, leading to damage, bleeding, or swelling that affects vision.
Types of Retinal Vascular Occlusion
Retinal artery occlusion is a condition where the artery supplying the retina becomes blocked. When the artery is blocked, the retina is deprived of oxygen and nutrients, potentially causing rapid vision loss.
Retinal artery occlusion is characterized by a sudden, rapid decline in vision, typically occurring in one eye.
Retinal vein occlusion is a condition where veins originating from the retina become blocked. This affects blood circulation within the retina, potentially leading to swelling, bleeding, and vision loss.
Retinal vein occlusion occurs relatively more frequently than retinal artery occlusion,
and is particularly strongly associated with conditions such as hypertension and diabetes.
Symptoms of retinal vascular occlusion
Retinal vascular occlusion causes symptoms to appear rapidly and can significantly affect vision.
Sudden blurring of vision in one eye
or a sudden decrease in vision may occur.
Part of my vision feels blurry or obscured.
A section of my vision often darkens
or disappears.
You may feel like small dots or flashes
are floating in front of your eyes.
Vision is lost for a few seconds to a few minutes
and then recovers.
When the macula is affected, straight lines may appear curved or objects may appear distorted.
When macular edema is present,
the entire visual field appears blurry, as if covered in fog.
Causes of Retinal Vascular Occlusion
Hypertension
High blood pressure can damage the blood vessels in the retina
and cause them to narrow or become blocked.
Diabetes
Diabetes can damage blood vessels
and cause retinal vascular occlusion.
Atherosclerosis
Atherosclerosis is a condition where blood vessels thicken and stiffen,
leading to narrowing or blockage of the vessels, which can cause retinal vascular occlusion.
Hyperlipidemia
High cholesterol and triglycerides promote atherosclerosis and increase the risk of blood clot formation.
Heart Disease and Arrhythmia
Blood clots formed in conditions such as atrial fibrillation
can travel to the retinal artery
and cause its occlusion.
Other factors
Obesity, obstructive sleep apnea, and dehydration
are also known risk factors.
Retinal Vascular Occlusion Diagnosis/Examination
Safety Inspection
Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT)
Detailed examinations such as retinal angiography
Treatment for Retinal Vascular Occlusion
Intravitreal Antibody Injection for Reducing Macular Edema and Preventing Neovascularization
Local retinal laser treatment to prevent neovascularization
Prevention Guidelines for Retinal Vascular Occlusion
High blood pressure is the most important risk factor. Regularly measure your blood pressure and keep it within the target range.
Diabetes patients must strictly manage their blood sugar levels and undergo regular eye exams to monitor the condition of their retinas.
Preventing and treating hyperlipidemia is important.
Blood lipid levels should be managed through regular exercise and dietary therapy.
High-risk individuals undergo regular fundus examinations to monitor the condition of their retinal blood vessels.
If retinal vascular occlusion occurs in one eye, the other eye must also be closely monitored.
Retinal artery occlusion, particularly central retinal artery occlusion, is an ophthalmic emergency. Treatment must be administered within 90 minutes to several hours after onset to minimize retinal damage.
Retinal vein occlusion is not as urgent as artery occlusion, but prompt diagnosis and treatment significantly influence visual prognosis. Therefore, prompt ophthalmic evaluation is essential upon symptom onset.
Yes, retinal artery occlusion in particular often occurs through mechanisms similar to stroke (thrombosis, embolism).
Patients with retinal artery occlusion have a high risk of future stroke and myocardial infarction, making cardiovascular screening and preventive management essential.
Retinal vein occlusion is also strongly associated with cardiovascular risk factors.
It primarily occurs in individuals over 50, but it can also affect younger people.
In younger patients, specific underlying causes such as blood clotting disorders, inflammatory vascular diseases, or heart valve diseases may be present, necessitating additional testing.
The underlying causes of retinal vascular occlusion—hypertension, diabetes, and atherosclerosis—affect both eyes and the blood vessels throughout the body.
It can also occur in the other eye, and the risk of cardiovascular disease (stroke, myocardial infarction) increases, so managing overall health and undergoing regular checkups is important.
Check out the blog below for more information on retinal diseases.
