Retinal vein occlusion (or RVO) is a disease of the retina that affects approximately 180,000 people each year in the US.

Veins in your eye—known as retinal veins—are an important part of your eye's normal circulation. They move blood out of your eye toward your heart. A retinal vein occlusion is the blockage of one of these veins.

RVO can lead to swelling of the macula, the part of our eye responsible for central vision and fine detail. This swelling can cause blurry or distorted vision in the affected eye. In some cases, RVO can lead to permanent vision loss.

WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW TO UNDERSTAND WHAT HAPPENS IN YOUR EYE:

There are 2 types of RVO:

Branch RVO (or BRVO)

A type of retinal vein occlusion in which the vein blockage occurs in the inner portion of the eye, where the retinal veins “branch out” into smaller veins.

Central RVO (or CRVO)

A type of retinal vein occlusion in which the vein blockage occurs in the central or main retinal vein at the back of the eye.

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF RVO?

Some of the symptoms you may experience with RVO include:

Blurry vision   

Distorted vision   

Some people with RVO may not notice any symptoms. In fact, some cases are detected through a routine eye exam. So it's important to have your eyes checked regularly.