Sudden loss of vision implies onset of stroke

Hyderabad: A person experiences a mini stroke or Transient Ischemic stroke (TIA) before suffering a stroke. The symptoms and the underlying causes are the same in both the cases. Patients experience loss of vision in one eye after TIA, which gradually leads to complete loss of vision. The vision loss happens when the blood vessel supplying oxygenated blood from the eyes and brain gets blocked. The blockage in the vessel can initially manifest as transient or permanent vision loss. Due to insufficient oxygen and nutrients supplied to the affected part of the brain during stroke, the tissues get damaged.

In medical world, it is known as anterior ischemic optic neuropathy or an eye stroke, which is a condition in which the blood flow gets disrupted in the front part of the optic nerve. Any loss of vision in the left side of the visual field of each eye is an indication of stroke or lesion on the right side of the brain. Stroke has many other signs and symptoms depending on the functional area of the brain being affected. Most of the activities, including the eyesight, are performed by the right side of the brain, and any hindrance in the blood flow to the nerves joining the eyes to this part of the brain can indicate stroke.

Most patients can be handled by medicines, as the body helps to repair the arteries. If the stroke is untreated, on average a patient loses 1.9 million neurons. Golden hour of a stroke is the first six hours, and only an urgent treatment is the key for the stroke. Medications, taken along with blood thinners, prevent from further extension of the blood clot in the area. With the advancement in technology and expertise, the brain blood vessels can be repaired now by minimal invasive neuro-intervention techniques.

BY Dr Jaideep Bansal