What are the signs and symptoms of an eye stroke? The symptoms of an eye stroke usually don't include pain. The first and main symptom is usually a sudden loss of vision or change in vision in one eye that may include: Floaters and flashes.
Eye Stroke Symptoms
The hallmark signs of eye stroke are sudden and painless vision loss or changes in vision -- like blurriness, floaters, a darkened area in your field of vision, decreased visual contrast, and light sensitivity -- in one eye. Although these symptoms usually come on quickly, they can appear gradually.
Symptoms of Eye Stroke
Most people with eye stroke notice a loss of vision in one eye upon waking in the morning with no pain. Some people notice a dark area or shadow in their vision that affects the upper or lower half of their visual field. Other symptoms include loss of visual contrast and light sensitivity.
Call 9-1-1 immediately if any of these signs of stroke appear: Numbness or weakness in the face, arm, or leg; Confusion or trouble speaking or understanding speech; Trouble seeing in one or both eyes; Trouble walking, dizziness, or problems with balance; severe headache with no known cause.
Some people will experience symptoms such as headache, numbness or tingling several days before they have a serious stroke. One study found that 43% of stroke patients experienced mini-stroke symptoms up to a week before they had a major stroke.
Pre-strokes or mini strokes are the common terms used to describe a transient ischemic attack (TIA). Unlike a full blown stroke, a TIA only lasts a few minutes and does not cause permanent damage. Nevertheless it is a warning sign that a possible stroke may be coming in the future.
A silent stroke refers to a stroke that doesn't cause any noticeable symptoms. Most strokes are caused by a clot that blocks a blood vessel in the brain. The blockage prevents blood and oxygen from reaching that area, causing nearby brain cells to die.
“If you have an inability to speak words, notice food or liquid falling out of your mouth due to facial droop, you could be having a stroke. If you experience numbness in your face or extremities, can't move an arm or leg or have a sudden onset of double vision or dizziness — those are other possible stroke symptoms.”
What causes floaters? Floaters usually happen because of normal changes in your eyes. As you age, tiny strands of your vitreous (the gel-like fluid that fills your eye) stick together and cast shadows on your retina (the light-sensitive layer of tissue at the back of the eye). Those shadows appear as floaters.
Seeing occasional flashing lights in your eyes usually isn't an issue. But repeated flashes in the forms of bright spots, streaks of lightening, or shooting stars in the corner of your eye can indicate a serious medical condition.
Vitreous humor is a gel-like substance that fills the majority of your eyeball. This gel allows light to enter the eye via the lens, and it is connected to the retina. If vitreous gel bumps or pulls on the retina, you may see flashes of light in the corner of your eye.
If you notice a sudden increase in eye floaters, contact an eye specialist immediately — especially if you also see light flashes or lose your vision. These can be symptoms of an emergency that requires prompt attention.
If at any time you see a shower of floaters and/or spots, often times accompanied by light flashes, you should seek medical attention immediately.
Eye floaters are common, and they might be a nuisance, but they're usually not anything to worry about. If you have a lot of floaters that appear suddenly, or other eye symptoms along with eye floaters, seek medical care right away.
Yes, you can have a stroke and not know it. A stroke's effects can be undetectable if the stroke is small or if the tissue damaged does not serve a critical function. Evidence of the stroke would show on a CT scan or an MRI of the brain, but it might not produce symptoms.
The signs and symptoms of a stroke often develop quickly. However, they can develop over hours or even days, such as when a transient ischemic attack (TIA) turns into a stroke. The type of symptoms depends on the type of stroke and the area of the brain that is affected.
Stage 1: Flaccidity
Flaccid paralysis (flaccidity) is the medical term for a complete lack of voluntary movement. This paralysis is caused by nerve damage that prevents the muscles from receiving appropriate signals from the brain, whether or not the brain is still capable of moving those muscles.
People who have mild strokes may feel like they've dodged a bullet since physical symptoms—blurred vision, difficulty speaking and weakness or numbness on one side of the body—usually disappear in a few minutes. Remember, if you notice any signs of a stroke in anyone young or old, seek immediate medical attention.
Strokes occur when blood flow to a part of the brain is cut off or drastically reduced, causing brain cells to die. If a stroke isn't caught early, it can cause permanent brain damage or death.
Drink a lot of water: You should drink at least five glasses of water per day, and this will reduce your risk of stroke by 53%, according to a recent study by Loma Linda University.