Great Lakes Vision Rehabilitation at Excel Neuro-Optometric Clinic

Stroke and Vision 

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“Following a stroke, the visual system can be affected. After suffering a stroke, patients may experience double vision, eye drift, balance issues, visual field loss/cuts, visual field neglect, and more! These deficits can drastically affect your quality of life and activities of daily living. Assessing the sensorimotor and functional components of vision following a stroke is important!” 

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Strokes most commonly affect elderly patients; however, they can occur at any age. Patients after a stroke may experience many signs or symptoms associated with the aquired brain injury. Some of the most common signs and symptoms include double vision, strabismus, visual field cuts, balance difficulties, and gait or walking challenges. Our visual system helps to guide our body through space, and if the visual system is affected, then it is possible that the difficulties and symptoms may be attributed to a visual deficit following the stroke. 

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Strokes can affect activities of living including working, driving, social events, walking, reading and many more! It is important to determine the changes visually and begin assessing a plan or journey for recovery and rehabilitation. The Neuro-Optometric Rehabilitation Association has a page about Stroke and Vision with more resources. 

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With stroke there is the possibility of spontaneous recovery. This is an ability for the brain to recover from the deficits in the absence of formal treatment or rehabilitation. However, the recovery may not always be complete. Motor movements have been demonstrated to recover faster than visuospatial neglect and orientation deficits. Given the possibility of spontaneous recovery some patients will wait and be monitored for progression by their health care provider. The duration of time may be lengthy, reported as early as 5 to 6 months, but some patients do not wish to wait for recovery. 

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At Excel Neuro-Optometric Clinic, our mission is to provide the best therapeutic options available to help with vision rehabilitation following stroke. Our doctors are trained to assess vision and balance, double vision, strabismus, visual field cuts, and vision and gait abnormalities. Through various types of therapy, I.e., vision therapy, optometric phototherapy, prisms, occlusion, and glasses we can provide the best treatment option to meet your goals or needs in your recovery journey. Our clinic utilizes prisms both compensatory (I.e., to resolve or alleviate double vision by aligning the images together) or therapeutically (I.e., to change the perception of the visual world to help with improving balance and gait through visual guidance. 

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IF YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW HAS SUFFERED A STROKE AND HAVING VISION DIFFICULTIES, CALL EXCEL TODAY TO SCHEDULE WITH ONE OF DOCTORS!