01/30/2026
Annual eye exams are important because they help catch problems early—often before you notice any symptoms. Many eye diseases do not cause pain or obvious vision changes at first, but a doctor can see signs of trouble during an exam.
Yearly exams also make sure your vision prescription is still correct, which helps you see clearly and avoid eye strain or headaches. Just as important, eye exams can reveal health problems like diabetes or high blood pressure, since these conditions can affect the eyes. Even if your vision seems fine, regular eye exams help protect your eyesight and keep your eyes healthy over time.
***This patient came to our office because he was experiencing “wavy” vision in his left eye. His last visit to our practice was three years ago. He reported that his left eye had been blurry for the past two months. During that time, he traveled to Mexico to update his glasses, but his vision in the left eye did not improve. A detailed examination of his retina showed multiple areas of bleeding in the upper part of his left eye along with swelling in the macular area (the area where fine focusing occurs). This patient was immediately referred to the retinal surgeons for further treatment.
Diagnosis: Your eyes have blood vessels that carry blood into the eye, just like the rest of your body. In the retina (the part of the eye that helps you see), there is one main vein with smaller branches. When one of these smaller veins gets blocked, it’s called a branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO) or a stroke in the eye.
Because the blood can’t flow normally, blood and fluid leak into the retina. This can cause swelling in the macula, the area responsible for sharp, straight-ahead vision, making your central vision blurry or distorted.
If the blockage lasts too long, the eye doesn’t get enough blood, and some of the nerve cells can be damaged or die, leading to further vision loss.
Causes of blockage: Often, doctors don’t know exactly why a blockage happens with BRVO. In some cases, diseases can make the artery walls thicker and stiffer. When this happens, an artery can press down on a nearby vein, slowing or blocking blood flow.
Who is at risk: People with certain health problems are more likely to develop BRVO. These include high blood pressure, diabetes, glaucoma, and hardening of the arteries.
Treatment: With BRVO, vision can get worse because the center of the retina (the macula) becomes swollen. The main goal of treatment is to reduce this swelling. In many cases, medicine or laser treatment can help decrease the fluid and swelling in the eye.
