HOLLYWOOD, Fla. – For 60 years, Rocky Burgess lived with clear vision.
"My vision was checked every year," she said.
Then, everything changed.
"Boom -- right eye's gone, and it's not coming back," ophthalmologist Dr. Alan Mendelsohn said. "It's a devastating thing."
Burgess was diagnosed with central retinal vein occlusion, or CRVO, a condition that causes a clot to form in the eye, leading to damaging pressure.
"It was like someone threw a tomato at my eye," Burgess said.
Cardiologist Dr. Adam Splaver said CRVO can be a warning sign of plaque build-up in the arteries and a red flag for other health risks.
"Central retinal vein occlusion is a marker that, yes, the patient could have a higher risk for developing coronary artery disease, have a higher risk for atherosclerosis, have a higher risk for stroke, have a higher risk for vascular and kidney diseases, because all of this is part and parcel of the same process," Splaver said.
There's a 10 percent chance CRVO will affect Burgess's left eye, but Mendelsohn said there's also a 50 percent chance that her right eye will develop a condition called neovascular glaucoma.
"That's where the eye starts getting painful, red and the pressure's way up," he explained.
Burgess is now undergoing special injections in the eye to help relieve the pressure and possibly restore some of her vision.
"I can't have fear. I have to have faith, and that's what I have," she said.
Diabetes, smoking and high blood pressure can all increase the risk of CRVO. Reducing your cardiovascular health risks can ultimately protect your vision.
