Consequences | Stroke in the eye

Consequences

The severity of the consequential damage caused by a stroke in the eye depends not only on the duration until the adequate therapy is initiated, but above all on the affected vessel. While occlusions of lateral branch veins usually cause only minor restrictions, the consequences of an occlusion of the central ocular vein can be considerable. The most serious consequential damage is the blindness of the affected eye, which can be the case if the initiation of therapy is delayed.

Another early complication is the so-called macular edema. In this case, fluid escapes from the damaged vessels and collects in the macula, the place of sharpest vision. Mostly affected people report a grey veil which lies over the field of vision of the eye.

Longer-term consequences of a venous occlusion in the eye are usually triggered by the formation of new vessels. The new vessels grow in uncontrolled and can thus cause damage. On the one hand, the increasing tension can lead to detachment of the retina, which can also be associated with considerable limitations in visual acuity, but also to glaucoma.

The latter occurs when the newly formed vessels grow into the chamber angle and the eye fluid can no longer drain off. The consequence is increased eye pressure, which, if it persists for a long time, can lead to damage to the optic nerve. Occlusions of the arterial and venous supply of the retina are among the most common causes of blindness.While in the acute phase mainly arterial occlusions lead to a loss of vision, the late effects of both forms, such as the formation of new vessels and a detachment of the retina, are the most frequent causes of blindness due to a stroke in the eye.

Therefore, in addition to the acute therapy, a close examination of the eye by a specialist must be carried out during the course of the disease in order to detect these complications as early as possible and thus to be able to treat them. Eye flickering mostly affects the external field of vision and is described as the movement of small bright spots back and forth. This can lead to a reduction in vision.

The causes of eye fibrillation can be diverse and range from migraine to circulatory disorders. However, especially if this symptom persists for a long time, the suspicion of a stroke in the eye should be clarified. After successful therapy of an underlying circulatory disorder, the eye flicker disappears again.

Double vision can be caused by numerous different factors. Common to these causes is that they cause restricted and asynchronous movement of the eye muscles. In addition to paralysis of the eye muscles or inflammation of the brain, strokes are often the cause of this symptom.

In most cases, however, double images indicate a circulatory disorder in the brain stem. Only rarely are the supplying vessels of the eye muscles themselves affected.