Retinal Occlusion
What is retinal occlusion?
When any part of your vein system in your retina has a blockage it is called a retinal occlusion. A blockage that occurs in the main retinal vein is referred to as a central retinal vein occlusion. Any blockages in one of the many, smaller branched veins are called branch retinal vein occlusions. These blockages prevent blood from draining from your retina, which can result in a number of eye complications such as fluid seepage from the obstructed blood vessels, sudden and severe bleeding, or hemorrhages.
Causes
- Diabetes
- Significantly high levels of cholesterol
- High blood pressure
- Glaucoma
- Cardiovascular conditions
- Macular edema
- Intravenous drug use
Symptoms
- Sudden loss of vision
- Blurry vision
- Partial or complete loss of vision
Treatment
With this condition, prompt treatment is crucial to stop further damage to the retina. Treatments include intraocular injections of medications and laser. Additional lab and carotid ultrasound testing is sometimes required to find and treat the underlying problem that caused the occlusion in the eye.
