![]() Both conditions - a retinal artery or vein occlusion - are referred to as eye (ocular) strokes. Blood clots may also form in the veins that carry blood away from the retina. Known as a retinal artery occlusion, this condition indicates a greater risk of a stroke in the brain. "Sometimes, patients come in with vision problems and a retinal photo or exam shows a piece of plaque blocking a retinal artery," he says. While both diabetes and high blood pressure are well-known contributors to heart disease, people may not know they have these conditions if they haven’t seen a primary care doctor in years, says Dr. Poorly controlled high blood pressure can cause retinal arteries to narrow or break and bleed into the retina. This condition, called diabetic retinopathy, can progress, causing further damage that may impair vision. Over time, high blood sugar (the hallmark of diabetes) causes the walls of vessels supplying the retina to weaken and leak fluid into the surrounding tissue. Nimesh Patel, an ophthalmologist who specializes in retina disorders at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts Eye and Ear hospital. "Like arteries throughout the body, these tiny vessels can be damaged by chronic conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure," says Dr. The pupil pulsations reflect these large pressure fluctuations.Ī network of blood vessels, each no wider than a strand of hair, supply blood to the retina, the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eyeball. Called Landolfi’s sign, it was first described by Italian physician Michele Landolfi in 1909.Ĭompared with people who have normal hearts, people with aortic regurgitation have a wide pulse pressure, which means there is an unusually big difference between the two numbers in their blood pressure readings (that is, the systolic and diastolic numbers). In severe cases, another possible sign is a rarely documented eye phenomenon: pupils that dilate and constrict in synchrony with the heartbeat. Symptoms typically include fatigue and breathlessness. When the heart’s aortic valve doesn’t close tightly (a condition called aortic regurgitation), small amounts of blood leak backward into the heart instead of being pumped into the body. A pulsating pupil and a leaky heart valve? Other unusual eye changes also can be clues to possible heart problems, such as small, yellowish bumps around the eyes, or pupils that widen and constrict with the heartbeat (see "A pulsating pupil and a leaky heart valve?"). And growing evidence hints that subtle, early damage to tiny blood vessels in the eyes may predict cardiovascular disease. Sudden vision changes such as blurriness, dark areas, or shadows could be a blockage in an eye blood vessel, which can foreshadow a more serious stroke in the brain. Changes both around and inside your eyes - some visible only with special tests - may be harbingers of heart disease.Īre the eyes a window to the heart as well as the soul? New insights and older observations suggest the answer is yes. ![]()
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