What is central retinal vein occlusion?

Central retinal vein occlusion occurs when 1 of the veins in the retina (a thin layer of tissue at the back of the eye) becomes blocked by a blood clot. 

What is central retinal vein occlusion? {#overview}

What are the symptoms of central retinal vein occlusion? {#symptoms}

What is the treatment for central retinal vein occlusion? {#treatment}

## What is central retinal vein occlusion? {#overview}
Retinal veins are tiny tubes that drain blood from the back of your eye (retina). When the main retinal vein that drains blood from your retina gets blocked, it’s known as a central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO). Central retinal vein occlusion can cause blood and fluid to leak out into the back of your eye, leading to bruising, swelling and sudden loss of vision in the affected eye.

It’s also possible to have a different type of retinal vein occlusion, known as a branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO). This is caused by a blockage of 1 of 4 branch retinal veins that each drain a different part of your retina.

Some lifestyle choices or medical conditions may increase your risk of retinal vein occlusion. These choices and conditions include:

- [high blood pressure](https://www.livehealthily.com/blood-pressure/high-blood-pressure-causes-symptoms-and-prevention) or [high cholesterol](/health-library)
- [diabetes](/health-library/conditions/diabetes)
- [heart disease](/health-library/conditions/coronary-heart-disease)
- [glaucoma](/health-library/conditions/glaucoma)
- certain rare blood disorders
- smoking
- being [obese](https://www.livehealthily.com/self-care/what-are-the-health-risks-of-being-overweight-or-obese)

## What are the symptoms of central retinal vein occlusion? {#symptoms}
Central retinal vein occlusion can cause blurred vision or no vision at all in your eye. It usually doesn’t cause pain and typically affects just 1 eye. It can often start when you wake up in the morning. 

It usually happens suddenly, but it can occasionally develop gradually. It mostly affects people over the age of 50.


::: body-ad-desktop
zones:: 232632,232621,232640
types:: 163
disclaimer:: AD
typeFilter:: native_ad
adCount:: 1

:::


::: body-ad-mobile
zones:: 232632,232621,232642
types:: 5,163
disclaimer:: ADVERTISEMENT
typeFilter:: display/native_ad
adCount:: 1

:::

## What is the treatment for central retinal vein occlusion? {#treatment}
If you’ve lost vision in your eye, go to an emergency department urgently. If you have central retinal vein occlusion, you will usually be seen immediately by an eye specialist (an ophthalmologist).

Treatment for central retinal vein occlusion may include:

- injections into your eye to stop blood and fluid from leaking out. These may be of anti- vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) medicines or steroids 
- laser treatment to reduce the swelling at the back of your eye or to help improve your vision 

If you have central retinal vein occlusion that’s caused by another medical condition, a doctor will also treat this to prevent it from happening again. 


error

 There was an error when submitting your feedback – have a screen break then try again in a few minutes.

Oh no, something’s gone wrong

ANY COMMENTS OR SUGGESTIONS?

initial

This isn’t helpful

This isn’t relevant

Something is wrong

This isn’t accurate

Please select one.

loading

success

We're listening – we use your feedback to improve your experience, and make our content more helpful.

Thank you for your feedback

References

Dr Adiele Hoffman

Dr Lauretta Ihonor

Dr Ann Nainan

Article information

All of Healthily's articles undergo medical safety checks to verify that the information is medically safe. View more details in our <a href="/safety" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">safety page</a>, or read our <a href="/legal/editorial-policy-principles" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">editorial policy</a>.

A central retinal vein occlusion is when the main vein that drains blood from your retina gets blocked. Here’s how to spot and treat central retinal vein occlusion.

Central retinal vein occlusion is when the main vein that drains blood from your retina gets blocked

Get help with this

Symptoms

Treatment

Conditions A-Z