Articles
High blood pressure dangers: Hypertension's effects on your body
Other possible dangers of high blood pressure
Content
Damage to your arteries
Damage to your heart
Damage to your brain
Damage to your kidneys
Damage to your eyes
Sexual dysfunction
High blood pressure emergencies
Damage to your eyes
High blood pressure can damage the tiny, delicate blood vessels that supply blood to your eyes, causing:
- Damage to your retina (retinopathy). Damage to the light-sensitive tissue at the back of your eye (retina) can lead to bleeding in the eye, blurred vision and complete loss of vision. You're at an even greater risk if you have diabetes in addition to high blood pressure.
- Fluid buildup under the retina (choroidopathy). Choroidopathy can result in distorted vision or sometimes scarring that impairs vision.
- Nerve damage (optic neuropathy). Blocked blood flow can damage the optic nerve, leading to bleeding within your eye or vision loss.