Retinal vein and artery occlusion

For people recovering from a blocked vein or artery in the retina, often called an eye stroke. Emergency and retinal care come first; supportive care here starts once your specialist has assessed the event.

Book a visit

Read through

BothWesternClassical

Two lenses, one plan

Fire 火 is the phase it is most often read through. Here the Western lens leads, with the classical lens alongside.

The Western lensAnatomy, physiology, biomechanics

Blocked vessels in the retina

Retinal arteries and veins cross one another and share a sheath, so a hardened artery can press on a vein and slow it. A clot or that compression can block a vein; an embolus, often from the neck arteries or heart, can block an artery.

Vein occlusion: Blood backs up, the retina swells and bleeds, and starved areas can signal new vessel growth. Injections and laser are used to control swelling and abnormal vessels.
Artery occlusion: The retina loses its supply within minutes to hours, so an artery occlusion is treated as an emergency and as a warning sign for stroke.
Follow-up: Regular OCT scans and exams watch for macular swelling, new vessels and pressure problems in the months after.

The classical lensChannels, patterns, the five phases

Stasis in the fine vessels

A sudden block in a vessel is read as blood stasis in the collaterals, 絡脈, of the eye. The classical question is why the vessel was vulnerable: rising yang on depleted yin, phlegm binding with stasis, or qi too weak to push blood.

Moving, then building: Early on, a practitioner might consider a blood-moving formula such as Peach and Safflower Four Substances (Tao Hong Si Wu Tang, 桃紅四物湯), with blood thinners checked first; the background deficiency is addressed in sequence.
The Heart and vessels: The Heart governs the blood vessels, so circulation through the whole body, not only the eye, is part of the reading.

Patterns we often see

Qi stagnation with blood stasis qì zhì xuè yū 氣滯血瘀
Yin deficiency with rising yang yīn xū yáng kàng 陰虛陽亢
Phlegm and stasis binding together tán yū hù jié 痰瘀互結

Patterns are examples of how this is often read, never a diagnosis. Yours is read at your visit.

How we work: one plan

After the acute phase, a visit combines M48 micro acupuncture with scalp acupuncture, electro-stimulation when appropriate and Master Tung's points, plus a formula checked against blood thinners. Your retinal specialist stays your primary eye doctor, and your physician manages vascular risk.

Formulas here illustrate how pattern diagnosis shapes treatment. They are not recommendations; a practitioner selects and adjusts formulas for the individual.

What a retinal occlusion is

The retina has its own artery and vein, which branch across its surface. In a vein occlusion (central or branch, CRVO or BRVO) the vein blocks, blood backs up and leaks, and the retina swells, so vision blurs or distorts. In an artery occlusion (CRAO or BRAO) the supply is cut off and part or all of the view goes dark, usually suddenly and without pain. Both are linked with high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, smoking and, for vein occlusions, glaucoma.

Conventional care for a vein occlusion often means injections or laser for the swelling and abnormal vessels that can follow. An artery occlusion is an emergency, treated like a stroke elsewhere in the body, with a search for its cause in the heart and neck arteries.

A warning sign for the whole body

An eye stroke shares risk factors with a stroke of the brain. That is why your physician's work on blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol matters as much as anything done for the eye. If you notice face drooping, arm weakness or trouble speaking, call 911.

How we work with it

After the acute phase, visits combine M48 micro acupuncture aimed at the retinal vessels with scalp acupuncture over the visual cortex, electro-stimulation when appropriate and Master Tung's points. The formula usually moves blood first, then turns to whatever background pattern left the vessel vulnerable.

We follow your OCT scans and acuity alongside your injection schedule, and what you notice in daily life.

Questions people ask

I just lost vision suddenly in one eye. Should I book?

No. Get emergency care now. Sudden vision loss, especially painless loss in one eye, can be a retinal artery occlusion, which is treated like a stroke and is time-critical. Call 911 or go to an emergency room.

When does acupuncture fit after an eye stroke?

Once your retinal specialist has assessed the occlusion and started any treatment it needs, such as injections for swelling. Supportive care then sits alongside that follow-up, and it does not reopen a blocked vessel.

I take a blood thinner. Can I still have herbs?

Tell us about every medication. Many formulas for this pattern move blood, so each one is checked against your blood thinner and blood pressure medicines, and some herbs are simply left out.

From the journal

Retinal Vein Occlusion and Chinese MedicineRetinal vein occlusion (RVO) arrives without warning: vision in one eye blurs, or a dark shadow and floaters appear overnight.

This is general wellness information, not medical advice.

Ready when you are.

Book online in a couple of minutes, at either clinic.

Book a visit