Can Eye Exams Reveal Early Signs of Hypertension?

When most people think of hypertension, they probably think about seeing their regular doctor. What they may not realize is that your blood pressure affects more than just your heart. Here, we’ll look at what eye exams in McMurray, PA can tell the doctor and why it matters.

Hypertension and Blood Vessels

The more pressure in your blood vessels, the more likely the problem will start to show itself in nearly every part of your body. To protect the body, the vessels will start to collapse in on themselves, to help staunch the pressure, which will eventually weaken the vessels. When an eye doctor in McMurray sees damaged blood vessels, they may be able to direct you to a hypertension specialist.

Will Hypertension Affect My Vision?

Yes, hypertension can make your vision either blurry or distorted. If you’ve noticed an increase in anything from eye floaters to light flashes to double-vision, it’s important not to ignore these issues or to discount them as just a sign of getting older.

How to Reduce Your Odds of Hypertension

Better blood pressure and a healthy heart usually starts with lifestyle choices. Whether it’s more veggies or longer walks, these are all smart decisions that can add up to lower blood pressure. If you’ve already made all of the changes that you can make in your life, though, you may need to talk to your physician about more targeted medication.

At Lappen Eye Care, we know how easy it can be to put off seeing a doctor of any kind. Just keep in mind that every professional you fail to see is an opportunity to catch problems in their infancy — before you have to invest a lot of time or money to fix it. If you’ve been meaning to schedule your annual exam, contact us today to officially get it on the books!