When you hear the word “stroke,” you probably think of a brain stroke, which is a lack of blood flow to the brain that results in symptoms like numbness and loss of bodily control. However, strokes can happen anywhere in the body, including in the eyes! Let’s shed some insight on this phenomenon.
Eye strokes are the result of blocked arteries and/or veins in the retina, the tissue lining the back of the eye that acts like camera film. Images come through the eye and are focused onto this film, and the information is sent to your brain so that you can understand and process what you’re seeing. Medically referred to as occlusions, blood clots in the retinal blood vessels are known to cause partial or complete vision loss, depending on the location of the blood clot. According to The Livestrong Foundation, eye strokes often silently sneak up on you when you least expect it; they exhibit no warning signs or symptoms.
Woodrow Wilson, the 27th United States President, experienced an eye stroke that affected him for the rest of his life. One day, he woke up with severe bleeding in his right retina. Given the aforementioned function of the retina, bleeding in this region is extremely dangerous to your vision. President Wilson’s retinal bleeding resulted in an almost complete blindness in his right eye. His vision did improve slightly over time, but he claimed that he could never again play golf as well as he used to.
Image Source: Tony Essex
Doctors identified President Wilson’s condition as a central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO). Blockage of central retinal vein (the main eye vein) causes sudden and painless vision loss. One of the reasons for Wilson’s eye stroke was that he had an important risk factor for stroke in general: high blood pressure. Having high blood pressure puts strain on blood vessels and may cause swelling or damage.
In addition to CRVO, several other types of eye strokes can occur. A central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO) is also considered severe, as resulting vision loss tends to be all-encompassing in the affected eye. CRAO can be predictable if a patient experiences episodes of temporary vision deficiency before the stroke, but this does not always happen. In the case of a branch retinal artery occlusion (BRAO), peripheral vision is lost. However, BRAO does not tend to be permanent, with 80% of patients regaining most of their vision over time. A branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO), on the other hand, often requires laser treatment to correct any vision loss, distorted vision, or blind spots.
In general, eye strokes tend to occur in middle-aged and older adults. Along with high blood pressure, heart disease is another risk factor. Clots from other bodily regions, most commonly the neck and heart, can travel to the eye, so the plaque that characterizes heart disease increases your risk of having an eye stroke. Since no effective treatment for vision loss exists at the present time, preventative methods, such as maintaining good health and eating habits overall, are critical to avoiding eye strokes. If you have an eye stroke and remain in poor cardiovascular health, your risk of a repeat occurrence in the other eye is about 30% within a three-year period.
If you or anyone you know experiences sudden vision loss at any time, be sure to contact a medical professional immediately. It just might save your sight.
