Is foggy vision troubling you? Let our experienced optometrist restore your sight – book an appointment today and see the […]
Up to 66% of people experience visual problems following a stroke.
Needless to say, if there has been damage to the brain, such as a stroke, there’s a high chance that your vision will be impacted. Vision is much more than just how clearly you can read from the eye chart. It involves so many complex skills connected to how the brain communicates with the eyes and perceives what we see. It depends where the stroke occurred in the brain and the extent of the impact it had on the brain tissue, but a stroke can cause various vision related issues including difficulty with reading, depth perception, balance, and visual memory, just to name a few.
The main areas in the brain related to vision are the:
There are many ways that a stroke can affect your vision. Some common visual implications are explained below.
The visual field is the entire area you can see in all directions when your eyes are fixed in one position. When a stroke occurs, around 20% of people suffer from permanent visual field loss. There are different parts of the visual field that can be damaged due to a stroke:
There are various ways that a stroke can affect the nerves and muscles that control your eye movements. Some examples include:
Some people who have suffered a stroke have a hard time blinking or fully closing their eyes which can affect the moistness of their eyes and can lead to dry eyes. This can cause a burning sensation, irritation, and/ or blurry vision.
After a stroke, you have to go through various rehabilitative treatments as part of the recovery process. It is so important to make sure to include vision as one of your systems that can use rehabilitation and strengthening, just as you would for speech rehabilitation or any other skill or system that requires attention after a stroke.
You might not know if you have experienced damage to your vision after a stroke so it is essential to have your vision evaluated by an optometrist. After the eye exam, if there has been harm to your vision, the optometrist can recommend various treatment plans. There is no reason to let your vision stay compromised when thankfully there are great rehabilitative treatment options as visual skills can be trained and strengthened. The brain has an incredible feature known as plasticity which means it can adapt to new challenges and be trained to accomplish various feats.
There is a field within optometry which has been proven to greatly improve a stroke survivor’s visual system. Neuro optometric rehabilitation can allow you to reclaim your independence and even regain visual abilities after suffering from damage to your vision due to a stroke.
Neuro optometric rehabilitation is vision care that goes beyond the simple correction of eyesight via contact lenses and eyeglasses. In particular, it focuses on the neurological side of the larger visual system, which includes not only the eyes, but the brain as well. As such, neuro optometric rehabilitation therapy centers around improving the brain-eye connection to treat a wide range of vision problems.
Our optometrist utilizes a wide variety of exercises and visual learning games, along with devices such as specialized lenses, to help you attain, improve, or regain the important visual skills which will help resolve your visual issues.
Low vision is the result of partial but irreversible visual impairment. A diagnosis does not mean that you are blind. It just means that you have problems that cannot be corrected with conventional interventions, and that you may require vision devices and training to enhance your remaining eyesight. In most instances, a person retains some degree of vision that usually responds well to specialty glasses or other vision aid. The field of low vision is dedicated to helping patients reclaim their independence and improve their quality of life, despite any visual impairment.
Optometry practices within the Amplify EyeCare brand represent the cutting edge of medical & specialty eyecare. Our eye doctors, who have offices all over the United States, are some of the leading specialists in their field, including:
Resources:
American Stroke Association
College of Optometrists in Vision Development
Neuro-Optometric Rehabilitation Association (NORA)
Vision therapy is well worth the response, time and effort. Our Son had a hard time focusing and writing neatly. After vision therapy Seth could complete a task in half the time if previously took. His abilities to focus improved greatly and so did his handwriting.
Also, he was better at listening. As a parent, we wanted learning to be fun for our Son, and vision therapy made this possible.
Vision Therapy is well worth the expense, time and effort. Our son had a hard time focusing handwriting neatly. After vision therapy Seth could complete a task in half the time it previously took his abilities to focus and improved greatly and so did his handwriting.
Also, he was better at listening. As a parent you wanted learning to be fun for our son and vision therapy made this possible.
Vision Therapy has given or son the tools he needs to be able to scan and read the written word more effectively and efficiently.
He love working with John and these working sessions give him the motivation to gladly work on his homework assignments.
It amazed us to see the difference in the tracking of his eyes and along a line of it's from the beginning to the end of the treatment.
Dr. McBryar , Kristen and John are all marvelous and we would recommend them to anyone I only wish that we would have found them sooner!
Prior to coming to the institute for vision development my son complained of daily headaches. Therapy has eliminated his headaches completely. I love knowing my son is able to learn pain-free for the rest of his life because of the work that has been done over just a few weeks in this office. He he absolutely loved coming that didn't even feel like going to a doctor or therapy. We are grateful for the relief he was able to find by coming here.
Thank you!
Seems much less frustrated with life
Reads non-stop and fast
Spelling abilities have been hugely improved
Seems much more confident
Thank You!!!
When we first came to the practice, my son did not have huge issues, but lots of small ones- trouble with reading, sports (hitting the baseball consistently), coordination, etc- that were not easily detectable,but when put together presented issues. The staff here were all very professional and loving towards him. While I was concerned in the reading, my son was concerned with the athletic side. Seeing improvement night off the bat gave him confidence that i have nor seen in him and made him want to not only Come to therapy, but also made him want to work hard. He has surpassed his grade level and above in reading and hit his first home run this year! Thank you!!!
Is foggy vision troubling you? Let our experienced optometrist restore your sight – book an appointment today and see the […]
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