Changes in the retina caused by local bleeding and a restricted blood supply that threaten eyesight, as the condition indicates that the blood pressure is excessively high.
Retinopathy associated with hypertension, toxemia of pregnancy, or glomerulonephritis. Findings on physical examination include a hazy retina, blurred disk margins, distention of retinal arteries, retinal hemorrhages, and white patches in the fundus, esp. surrounding the papilla and at the stellate figure at the macula.
Persistent hypertension, or high blood pressure, can lead to damage to the retina, the light-sensitive layer at the back of the eye, by impacting the blood vessels in the eyes. Any observable alterations in the retina are indicative of changes happening in small blood vessels across the body. Therefore, an examination of the retina is a crucial component of evaluating hypertension.