Blood pressure increases can damage the delicate blood vessels in the eye and result in vision-threatening symptoms, such as fluid leakage (known as hypertensive retinopathy), narrowed blood vessels, and retinal swelling.

Controlling blood pressure effectively is the best way to avoid these symptoms, which involves making significant lifestyle adjustments and visiting health care professionals regularly.

1. Dizziness

Dizziness is one of the hallmarks of low blood pressure. This symptom occurs due to insufficient blood flow to the brain and inner ear, leading to unsteadiness, balance issues and even vertigo – an uncomfortable spinning sensation known as vertigo that may also accompany nausea and vomiting. Dizziness could be caused by dehydration, medication side effects (particularly blood pressure medication or heart medications), pregnancy or certain medical conditions like an inner ear infection or stroke.

Dizziness often results from sudden changes in position, such as rising up from sitting or lying down quickly to standing up quickly. This is because, when exposed to such rapid transitions, blood pressure tends to increase as part of its normal response – called orthostatic hypotension – so enough blood can reach the brain without pooling in lower parts of the body resulting in temporary dizziness.

People living with high blood pressure can also have ocular hypertension, where fluid in the eye accumulates an excessive amount of pressure that does not drain out as intended, potentially leading to vision loss or blindness in older adults if left untreated.

People suffering from ocular hypertension often do not notice early symptoms and many don’t even realize they have it at all. Therefore, it is crucial that regular comprehensive eye exams with a trained ophthalmologist take place so they can monitor your blood pressure and identify any potential issues before high blood pressure causes damage to your eyes such as ocular hypertension.

2. Lightheadedness

Every once in awhile, most of us feel lightheaded when standing up too quickly from sitting or lying down positions, but if this becomes an ongoing condition it could indicate low blood pressure in your eyes and poor circulation overall – perhaps due to arteriosclerosis (hardening of arteries), high cholesterol levels, diabetes or simply being dehydrated by excessive sweating in hot climates over long periods.

Feeling lightheaded is typically caused by insufficient blood flow from eye-based vessels reaching your brain, signaling low blood pressure. Sitting or lying down in a darkened environment until this symptom passes can provide temporary relief; if it continues, seek medical advice as soon as possible to identify and address any underlying conditions that could be contributing.

High blood pressure can damage the tiny blood vessels in your eye, leading to elevated intraocular pressure that increases the risk of glaucoma. Unfortunately, those suffering from ocular hypertension don’t usually notice any visual symptoms; therefore they might only discover their condition upon being diagnosed during a routine eye exam with 2.5% phenylephrine solution as part of a dilated exam; during which your doctor could spot narrowed vessels, hemorrhages or areas on sclera that don’t blanch when exposed 2.5% phenylephrine as indicators of high intraocular pressure.

Redness of the eyelids is another telltale sign of ocular hypertension, signaling blocked meibomian gland orifices and necessitating warm compresses, lubricating ointment or punctual occlusion in order to clear them up. Redness may also be an indicator that other conditions exist such as rosacea, blepharitis or inflammation of the white covering of your eye known as the sclera (scleritis), as well as connective tissue disorders like rheumatoid arthritis or Wegener’s Granulomatosis causing redness of their own.

3. Blurred vision

Your vision may become clouded when it’s affected by eye disease or health conditions that require treatment, like diabetes or high blood pressure. While mild cases may be temporary and remedied with over-the-counter eye drops or medications, more serious ones require medical intervention to solve. Blurry vision could be an early indicator of glaucoma which causes long-term eye damage unless diagnosed and treated early; diabetes or high blood pressure conditions warrant annual exams to detect any problems early and treat them before vision loss occurs.

Blurry vision may also be indicative of cataracts, a condition in which the natural lens becomes clouded over time and makes close objects hard to see while distant objects remain clear. Cataracts tend to affect older adults most commonly; however they can occur among younger adults as well. Other conditions that cause blurry vision include dry eyes (irritable and itchy); computer vision syndrome caused by frequent computer use without rest breaks; pregnancy (especially later stages); and dry eye syndrome.

If your blurred vision occurs suddenly, it is imperative to seek medical help immediately. It could be an indicator of a brain attack or another medical emergency which needs urgent medical treatment; symptoms like severe headache, dizziness, light sensitivity or difficulty speaking could all indicate stroke-like symptoms; for pregnant women it could signal preeclampsia–an extremely dangerous pregnancy condition which requires medical intervention immediately.

4. Fainting

An unexpected decrease in blood flow or glucose to the brain can result in fainting. This may occur as a result of intense or prolonged pain; an emotional event; rapid body position changes like standing up too quickly (postural hypotension); pregnancy; serious heart conditions like heart attack or pregnancy; certain medicines including high blood pressure medications as well as over-the-counter drugs and genetics can play a part.

Many who faint are often oblivious to what caused their episode; they might experience feelings of weakness, nausea, hot and cold sensations, spots before their eyes or headaches and lightheadedness; some even report headaches or lightheadedness afterwards. Fainting is often seen as an early indicator of heart disease, blood clots in lungs, abnormal heart rhythm or kidney or nervous system issues that need medical treatment.

Hypertensive retinopathy affects some individuals, in which damage to retinal blood vessels occurs due to sustained high blood pressure. On a dilated eye exam, doctors can often observe narrowed blood vessels and areas of white pigmentation indicating poor circulation to the retina. When patients with this disorder seek medical treatment for hypertension, blood pressure usually becomes under control by treating its cause. Regular visits with both a primary care doctor and an ophthalmologist are important. Dilation eye exams should take place every few months or annually in most cases, and eye doctors can measure intraocular pressure with a tonometer; high IOP can lead to glaucoma or other eye health complications if unchecked.

5. Eye pain

Eye pain can be an indicator of eye conditions or health problems. Depending on the location of pain – be it on the surface of the eyelid or within its deeper structures – its intensity can range from mild irritation to debilitating discomfort. In many instances, eye pain is a symptom of another health or eye disease condition, such as glaucoma, infection, corneal abrasions, styes or blepharitis (an infestation of Demodex mites in glands of your eyelid).

Sharp eye pain may be caused by debris in the eye that causes irritation and pain, such as dust or dirt from outside environments, eyelashes or pollen that has lodged itself within. Eye drops or flushing your eyes with water can help clear away this debris.

Eye pain may also be caused by damage to the optic nerve caused by high blood pressure (hypertension). Over time, high blood pressure damages the small blood vessels supplying retina in the back of eye and causes them to thicken and narrow, thus decreasing how much blood can reach retina, leading to pain and vision loss; this condition is known as hypertensive retinopathy.

Your intraocular pressure (IOP) should remain steady with equal amounts of fluid draining from and replenishing your eyeball at all times. If drainage becomes insufficient, your IOP increases which could eventually lead to glaucoma which causes vision loss. IOP measurements are usually performed using automated devices which measure it directly.