Are you suffering from eye stroke? Here are the symptoms

An eye stroke is a dangerous condition that occurs due to a lack of sufficient blood flow to the tissues in the front part of the optic nerve. According to experts, having an eye stroke may be an indicator that the person might be at the risk of a serious stroke.

Studies suggest that early damage to the tiny blood vessels leading to the eyes may be a warning sign of the condition. The experts have emphasised that these blockages can cause sudden changes in vision such as blurriness, dark areas, or shadows.

In most cases, eye strokes occurs in just one of the eyes. However, the vision returns 80 percent of the time when there is a less serious blockage in the smaller arteries.

One of the early symptoms of an eye stroke is that a person may notice problems of vision in one eye upon waking up in the morning with no pain. The affected person may notice a dark area or shadow in their vision affecting the upper or lower half of their visual field. However, it may include loss of visual contrast as well as light sensitivity.

According to experts, eating a healthy diet comprising sufficient proteins, keeping a check on your blood sugar and pressure levels and quitting smoking and excessive drinking of alcohol may reduce the risk of developing an eye stroke.

When to consult a doctor for eye stroke?

You should contact a doctor for any new or sudden changes to your vision, including:

• seeing floaters
• flashes of lights
• losing full or partial vision in one or both eyes

Cause of Eye Strokes

The National Eye Institute explains that eye strokes in the retinal veins are more likely to develop in people who are:

• aged 50 or older
• have high blood pressure
• have diabetes
• have glaucoma
• have arteriosclerosis

Treatment of Eye Stroke

Some of the treatments a doctor may offer for a retinal artery eye stroke include:

• dilating the retinal artery with an inhaled mixture of oxygen and carbon dioxide to dislodge the clot
• using a needle to remove fluid from the front of the eye
• medication to reduce eye pressure
• manual thumb massage to dislodge the clot