Symptoms

The stroke in the eye often sets in very suddenly and patients usually do not notice the process at first. The vein is closed without pain. Then suddenly various visual disturbances can occur after a stroke.

The field of vision can be restricted, so that some areas become blurred or even not perceived at all. Typically, the visual field disorders have a square shape or restrict the field of vision by half. This also increases the risk of the patient falling.

Limited vision usually occurs when the vessel is only partially displaced by a thrombus. and By these symptoms you can recognize a blood clot in the head Furthermore, the patient can see blurred as if looking through a veil. In ophthalmology, these visual failures are called scotomas.

Furthermore a changed perception of colors is also possible. Due to the congested blood, the retina is restricted in its function. The thrombosis can also lead to a reduction in visual acuity because the point of sharpest vision, the macula, also swells.

However, if the vein is completely closed, the blood supply to the affected eye is interrupted. In this case the patient is temporarily blind. This situation is very frightening for many of those affected, because they are uncertain where this symptom suddenly comes from and how to act.

In this condition, it is often difficult for the patient to read or recognize anything. Many retinal vein occlusions occur at night, because the lying position increases the pressure in the veins and at the same time the arterial blood pressure is lower. Thus, the symptoms are often only noticed by the patient in the morning when he wakes up.

In some cases both eyes can be affected, but often only one side is affected. If visual disturbances occur and no cause is known so far, the affected person should consult a doctor as soon as possible. A quick treatment and the exposure of the vessels is important, because consequential damage such as a permanent loss of vision or, in the worst case, blindness can remain.

The retina is very important for imaging what is seen. Without it, the information is not transmitted to the visual center in the brain. The retina is very sensitive to changes in the blood supply, as is the case with thrombosis and the subsequent stroke in the eye, and reacts immediately.Due to the changed blood supply, symptoms such as blurring of objects, flashes of light and finally the complete ability to see can disappear and the patient only sees black before the eye.

In many diseases of the inner eye, flashes of light are a first warning sign for a beginning damage of the retina. Thus, light flashes do not only occur in cases of retinal vein occlusion, but also in diabetes due to vascular changes caused by polyneuropathy and also in age-related vitreous alterations. In many cases, a retinal detachment occurs, whereby the sensory cells still in contact with the vitreous are excited and thus produce the light flashes.

If light flashes occur for the first time, the affected person should have his eyes checked by a specialist. Recognizing the stroke in the eye and taking timely action is not always very easy for the layperson. Especially since the symptoms can be gradual and often go unnoticed.

Typical symptoms such as flashes of light, blurred or distorted field of vision and partial visual field restrictions are typical signs of a stroke in both the eye and a stroke in a vessel of the brain. Furthermore, short-term blindness can also occur. The patient should be careful at the first signs of a change that occurs at the same time.

It is important not to let too much time pass before consulting a doctor, because permanent damage can be the result. It is best for the affected person to see an ophthalmologist who can carry out an initial examination and thus also assess the situation. Another possibility is to go immediately to the emergency room in a hospital.