EYE STROKE - Retinal Vein Occlusion (Causes, Symptoms, Treatment)

Ever heard of an eye stroke? A Retinal vein occlusion can be classified as a branch retinal vein occlusion, a central retinal vein occlusion or a hemi central retinal vein occlusion. These "eye strokes" often cause severe vision loss due to macular edema (a swelling of the retina) or secondary glaucoma.

This was a topic that many viewers have asked about and I hope you enjoyed the longer content. Please let me know what eye health topic you would love to see me cover next!
Thank you so much! You rock!
Joseph J. Allen, OD FAAO

Retinal vein occlusions are major eye diseases that are heavily studied in ophthalmology and optometry. If you have any further questions or comments about BRVO or CRVO, please leave them in the comments!

MAIN MESSAGE from this video:

Taking care of yourself and striving for a healthy lifestyle will reduce your chances of having a retinal vein occlusion.
- Eat well
- Exercise more
- Manage your blood pressure & cholesterol
- Don’t smoke

============================
✅ Recommended playlists:

How to Put in Contact Lenses - Contacts for Beginners

💡 Videos for frequently asked questions:

===============================
DISCLAIMER: This video is NOT sponsored, but this description contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.
===============================

⚡ RESOURCES FOR YOU⚡

Let’s Connect! Dr. Allen on Social Media:

Want to stay up to date on eye health science & vision products?

(send me stuff to open on camera):
1239 2nd St N # 741, Sauk Rapids, MN 56379

⚡ Doctor Allen is now scheduling new patients at

---------Cameras and Gear Used To Shoot This Video -------

DISCLAIMER: This video and description contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a small commission.

DISCLAIMER: We are ambassadors or affiliates for many of the brands we reference on the channel. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
======================================================
#doctoreyehealth #eyestroke
MEDICAL ADVICE DISCLAIMER: All content in this video and description including infor­ma­tion, opinions, con­tent, ref­er­ences, and links is for infor­ma­tional pur­poses only. The Author does not pro­vide any med­ical advice on the Site. Access­ing, viewing, read­ing, or oth­er­wise using this content does NOT cre­ate a physician-patient rela­tion­ship between you and its author. Pro­vid­ing per­sonal or med­ical infor­ma­tion to the Principal author does not cre­ate a physician-patient rela­tion­ship between you and the Principal author or authors. Noth­ing con­tained in this video or its description is intended to estab­lish a physician-patient rela­tion­ship, to replace the ser­vices of a trained physi­cian or health care pro­fes­sional, or oth­er­wise to be a sub­sti­tute for pro­fes­sional med­ical advice, diag­no­sis, or treatment. You should con­sult a licensed physi­cian or appropriately-credentialed health care worker in your com­mu­nity in all mat­ters relat­ing to your health.

About this video: Ever heard of having an eye stroke? In this video, Dr. Allen from Doctor Eye Health reviews a common retinal condition and cause of blindness called a retinal vein occlusion. Specifically, this video goes over central retinal vein occlusion treatment and branch retinal vein occlusion treatment. If you are looking for an in depth retinal vein occlusion lecture, this might be it!

[DoctorEyeHealth]

Do you like this longer form content? If you have other eye health related topics you would like me to cover, please let me know!

[jessicabis]

I woke up one morning blind in my right eye. I went to my opthamologist and I was diagnosed with a branch retinal artery occlusion. I spent 3 days in the hospital having more tests than ever. They never found a cause for it. Luckily my vision came back but my Peripheral vision has permanent silver swirls in it. It’s so much better than full blindness. That was two years ago and every morning I still hold my breath when opening my eyes lol. Super scary.

[tinad]

I had angle closure glaucoma 5 years ago. I was recently divorced, not sleeping and in between homes. I wasn’t feeling well the day it happened and then I got emotionally triggered and the energy went right up into my eyes. I was vomiting for 3 days with a migraine. My pressure was about 70. They did a bunch of laser to try and open the angle, stick a needle in my eye to remove fluid and ultimately I had to get cataract surgery. I was left with my pupils being ischemic and misshapen. I believe it’s because of the laser because I have pictures before the procedures and the pupils were large and circular. My pupils are now in a dilated state and I am very sensitive to light. I live a very healthy life. My diet is superb and I exercise, plus garden. I am now 52 and in peri menopause, but hormones were most definitely a factor 5 years ago with all of the life stuff I was going through. I believe I will heal my iris muscles and get my pupils to work again. I am not on any drops. My pressures are fine. Maybe you can do some videos on glaucoma. More people need to know about it. I am a researcher and I am writing a book on glaucoma because of all the research I had to do on my own, because my doctors don’t want to share information with me about my own eyes. Thank you

[KhanTrav]

This just happened to me exactly as you describe. I was placed on BP meds and am now scheduled to visit a retina specialist. Now I have a better idea what to expect. Thanks.

[domenikberisha]

Thanks for making it easier for me to choose ophthalmology as a specialty when time comes!
Love your content man! 👏👏

[dailydoseofmedicinee]

Although you may never fully regain your eyesight if you've suffered visual impairments after a stroke, it is possible to improve muscle control and vision.👍

[optoms]

As an Optometrist and Ophthalmic assistant, your videos help me dissect the cases I see every day! Great work, thanks

[ronaldsherwood]

I have a terrific ophthalmologist. I’ve received Eyelea injections for over nine years. The eye responds well and I benefit from approximately twelve weeks before the cycles restarts. I’ve the years my visual acuity to read fine detail has eroded. My doctor says this is as good as I get.

While still receiving Eyelea in the left eye - the CRVO developed in my right eye as well. I had twelve vials of blood drawn and was referred to an hematologist/oncologist- who found nothing unusual. This eye is more needy, requiring an injection every six weeks or so.

I’m really beginning to tire of all of this, but I also treasure my vision. Is there anything more I could consider to improve my outcomes?

Thank you,
Ron Sherwood in Upstate NY.

[zundrasluxury]

I just found your video and you are very informative. I just was diagnosed with high stroke and my ophthalmologist was so extremely busy at her first day at Kaiser, when she wanted to do the injection, I refuse to let her do it because she stated it would take an extra couple hours to get everything approved and she didn’t read my chart thoroughly because of being busy with all the other patients so I am scheduled this week to have an injection, which you noted. I am 65 years old and my eyes feel like it will explode at times. My optometrist prescribed Timolol Maleate to bring down the pressure. A few weeks later, I am now scheduled to see an ophthalmologist for the injection.
I pray that my 👁️ heals and there are no issues.

[jennyt]

Thank you for this very clear & informative video. My ocular history reads like War & Peace!. I have had benign congenital nevus both eyes, strabismus ( treatment by surgery unsuccessful), epiretinal membrane peel surgery, retinal tear (fortunately did not lead to detached retina) & a branch retinal vein occlusion. Had cataract surgery with insertion of IOL just 3 weeks ago. I am very glad to have a wonderful retinal specialist. Am so grateful people like he & you decided to go into ophthalmic medicine & not IT!!

[somu_fun]

I've this condition right now. BP is high - doctor has prescribed for an expansive blood tests of 7 tubes and waiting for the follow up this Thursday to see what's the next course of actions be..

[HAvniAksoy]

Thank you so much for the excellent explainer video. I appreciate it so much. This is just what I have been suffering from since 2016 -- on top of my Daltonism from birth. After many, many (like a couple of dozen) Avastin and Eylea injections and a steroid implant that was the mother of all floaters for a couple of years, I am simply frustrated with my condition and stopped having my (right) eye pierced by a needle, however miniscule and thin, periodically, and getting no better vision. I guess I have resigned to having a bad right eye and a better left eye untiI get a stroke (pun not intended) of bad luck and have another episode in my left eye. Maybe have a retina transplant? Stem cell treatment? Laser surgery? A very specific prismatic lens to compensate for the irregularities in my retina surface? I mean, if the medical science today can come up with an mRNA or inactive virus vaccine within a year in response to a virus pandemic instead of like, I don't know, maybe ten years, why can't the researchers do something, anything, to an obviously age-related affliction which will one day visit some (if not most) of them too? Sorry for the rant, but I am frustrated...

[carolew]

I was diagnosed with an "Eye Stoke" or Retinal Vein Occlusion of my left eye. I have been receiving injections monthly since 2019 but I have never received a clear explanation of what that condition was. This is a fabulous educational video!

Future Video Request - I'm hoping to find information of homeopathic methods or eye exercises that may help control the swelling. After a steroid eye injection, the swelling is significantly reduced and vision improves but the swelling always seem to return. Would like additional info whether there is anything I can do to improve the condition.

[katieshore]

Hi Dr..
Please could you do a video on optic nerve drusen..I’ve had it for the last 15 years and it effects my field of Visio (I don’t drive anymore because of it) I’d love to learn more about it 😃

[jpridie]

Great video and exactly what I have, the retina specialist has been injecting my eye for two years every month to stop my retina being lifted off the back of my eye and since I had the stroke in the right eye I’ve been able to see perfectly since the first injection. Thank you for the explanation, you are very informative to a layman like me, I appreciate it.

[ChrisTopher-vszz]

we know you're intelligent. we know you're sincere. but please... STOP the 'jocularity' when describing these conditions because it is a TURN-OFF!

[joostigrohmannjong]

Hello YT, I'm myopic (working a lot with my computer, reading books etc. but I wonder why only one eye (my left one) is constantly exhausted, but my right one is completely fine. Someone had this problem? Can you fix it? because my eye sight on my left one gets worse.. and the constant pressure and tearing up is annoying and prevents me from giving my work 100%

[chelosaenz]

Suddenly I became blind on my left eye while dealing with the flu for about one month on February 2024. My primary doctor tested for COVID, but the test result was negative. My blood pressure is always between 109-128, and higher if I'm rushing, running, or mad, but never is high permanently. I am 70 16:39 years old, border-line diabetic and miderate cholesterol levels. I am currently taking cestor and metformin. No other issues. I never drank alcohol in my life, never smoked, I exercise at least 5-6 times a week, and basically eat a very healthy diet. So, I was very shocked that I was diagnosed with CRVO. I will be receiving my 4th anti-VEGF injection next Thursday. My vision has improved by approximately 80% with this treatment, but the remaining dark spots do not allow me to see letters or numbers. What can be done for this problem.

[nemo]

This is one of the most useful/important channels on youtube.

[ZippyandOllie]

I had a right central retinal vein occlusion at 16 years old. I was a healthy kid who did track and field and cross country. The ophthalmologist could not figure out what caused it. I had LOTS of bloodwork done and the cause was never found. I had a series of eye injections over a period of 1 year. Fast forward, I’m 27 now and still have floaters in my eye. The ophthalmologist at the time had around 40 years of experience and had never seen a case at 16 years old. My guess was that I experienced panic attacks and anxiety during that time of my life. Could that be the answer?