| Often health problems can be prevented when an | | | | your eyes, and in particular, the retina are very |
| early eye problem has been identified. Conditions | | | | small and delicate. Like other parts to our vascular |
| such as diabetes or hypertension are often first | | | | system, they are damaged by hypertension. This |
| discovered during an eye exam. Macular | | | | can result in the vessels leaking which leads to |
| degeneration occurs when the vascular system | | | | fluid building up in the choroid, a vascular layer of |
| that feeds the macula is not working properly. Not | | | | vessels that lie under the retina. Hypertension |
| enough nutrients and oxygen are getting to the | | | | may be more of a significant risk factor for |
| macula and likewise, the waste products are not | | | | developing wet age related macular degeneration |
| being removed and they build up and clog the | | | | according to the Age Related Macular |
| transport system. | | | | Degeneration Risk Factors Study Group. |
| To have healthy eyes we want to promote a | | | | Blood pressure readings consist of a diastolic and |
| healthy circulation to the eyes. Any time we have | | | | a systolic reading. The systolic pressure is the |
| a condition that harms the circulation or the tiny | | | | pressure when the heart beats while pumping |
| vessels that feed the macula, like hypertension, | | | | blood. The diastolic pressure is the pressure when |
| we cause harm to our eyes. | | | | the heart is at rest between beats. These two |
| The vessels that supply nutrients and oxygen to | | | | numbers are very important for you to know. |