February is American Heart Month in Wisconsin and a Wausau optometrist cautions people there is a relationship between heart disease and eye problems. Dr. Chris Marquardt of Envison Eyecare is the past president of the Wisconsin Optometric Association.
He says during an exam, they will look for certain conditions. The eye is the only place in the body where blood vessels can be easily seen...
"...Something like high blood pressure will cause some distortion of the blood vessels in the back of the eyes and because of the increased pressure it can cause leaking of fluid or even bleeding in the back of the eye. These are things you can't feel. They can only be determined by looking in the eyes with a comprehensive eye exam. "
Dr. Marquardt has an example...
"I had a patient who came in one day who was doing pretty well. She said she noticed a blurry spot that had started in her vision. When I looked in her eyes I could see large evidence of what we call hypertensive retinopathy, the eye effects of high blood pressure. There was bleeding back there, swelling of the tissues. We sent her over to urgent care and her blood pressure was something like 220 over 140....."
Dr. Marquardt says getting regular eye exams are crucial. Professionals can spot problems before they become severe. Monitoring blood pressure and blood sugar, healthy diet and exercise and medication if needed can help.
Dr. Marquardt notes high blood pressure is also a risk factor for stroke. He says most people think of strokes in the brain, but they can happen in the eye as well.
