Retinal artery occlusion occurs when the central retinal artery
or one of the arteries that branch off of it becomes blocked by
a tiny clot in the blood stream. The blockage decreases the
oxygen supply to the area of the retina nourished by the
affected artery, causing permanent vision loss. Different types
of occlusion include a central retinal artery occlusion and a
branch retinal artery occlusion. Who can get it? Persons with
the following conditions: · High cholesterol · Heart disease ·
Arteriosclerosis · Hypertension · Diabetes · Glaucoma What are
the symptoms? Signs of an artery occlusion include a temporary
loss of vision prior to the artery occlusion, or sudden,
painless and partial or complete loss of vision in one eye .
What is the treatment? Artery occlusion is diagnosed by
examining the retina with an ophthalmoscope. If it is caught
within the first hour and treatment is initiated immediately,
recovery is possible in rare cases. However, after that time the
risk of permanent vision loss is extreme