Stroke Management

A stroke is a medical condition that occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is abruptly interrupted. A stroke may also occur as a result of a burst blood vessel in the brain. In the United States alone, more than 700,000 people suffer a stroke each year. And although stroke originates in the brain, it can have serious effects throughout the body, including problems with vision. At The Center for Vision Development, we specialize in stroke management and post-stroke vision rehabilitation.

How Stroke Affects Vision

Because visual information is processed through the brain’s visual cortex, damage due to stroke may impact quality of vision as well as other vision-related processes. Some of these visual defects may include, but are not limited to:

• Blurred vision
• Sensitivity to light (photophobia)
• Reduction or loss of visual field
• Headaches triggered by visual tasks
• Difficulty reading
• Eye movement difficulties

Furthermore, approximately one-third of stroke patients encounter one or more of the following conditions:

• Loss of visual field – A portion of the visual field disappears.
• Lack of eye movement control – When the nerves of the eye become damaged, the eyes may no longer move as desired or may move involuntarily, often resulting in double vision (diplopia), eye turn (strabismus), or other similar concerns.
• Continuous unsteady eye movement (nystagmus) – The eye may involuntarily move up and down, sideways or in a circle.
• Visual neglect – When the brain is no longer capable of interpreting the images it receives.
• Agnosia – Difficulty recognizing familiar faces or objects.

How Neuro-Optometry Can Help

A functional eye exam performed by an experienced neuro-optometrist can help to identify neurological vision-related problems and address the kind of vision loss that is often present following a stroke. Once identified, a comprehensive, customized rehabilitation plan will be developed, which may include the use of prism lenses as well as therapeutic exercises designed to re-train the brain to properly process visual information again.

​​​​​​​If you or a loved one suffered a stroke and have been experiencing any of the above symptoms, neuro-optometric rehabilitation could help. Contact The Center for Vision Development today to learn more or to schedule a consultation.