What happens when you have a stroke in your eye?
Rachel Ellis
Published Jan 18, 2026
Symptoms of Eye Stroke
Can you recover from an eye stroke?
You can recover from an eye stroke, but there can be serious complications such as: Macular edema, or inflammation of the macula. The macula is the middle part of the retina that helps with sharpness of vision. Macular swelling can blur your vision or lead to vision loss.
How serious is an eye stroke?
While eye stroke is generally painless, it is still a dangerous sight-threatening condition! Usually, the primary symptom is vision loss, which is temporary and happens in just one eye. However, vision damage can become irreversible if you don't seek treatment quickly from a qualified eye doctor.
How do you treat an eye stroke?
Treatments
- Eye massage. Your doctor will massage your closed eyelid with a finger to dislodge the clot.
- Carbon dioxide-oxygen. You breathe in a mixture of carbon dioxide and oxygen to increase blood flow to the retina. ...
- Paracentesis. ...
- Medications.
What are the signs of a stroke in your eye?
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.
15 related questions foundHow long does it take to recover from an eye stroke?
How Long Does It Take to Get Your Vision Back After a Stroke? Generally speaking, some survivors see small improvements in their vision within three months after stroke. Furthermore, immediately after a stroke, spontaneous recovery is likely to occur.
Is an eye stroke the same as a regular stroke?
Eye strokes are related to but different from cerebral or brain strokes – the so-called normal strokes we think of when someone says stroke. Eye strokes are similar in that they result from reduced blood flow, Browne explains. In addition, cerebral strokes "can also result from rupture and bleeding from an artery."
Is eye stroke an emergency?
Stroke affecting the eye requires immediate treatment, can signal future vascular events. Statement Highlights: Central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO) is a form of stroke that occurs when blood flow is blocked to the main artery of the eye, usually resulting in vision loss in the affected eye.
What causes a eye stroke?
Diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol are all common conditions which affect blood vessels throughout the body. These conditions each can affect blood vessels in the back of the eye, within the retina. If the retinal vessels become obstructed, then a stroke in the eye can occur.
Can a stroke cause blindness?
In general, patients who have strokes or other brain injuries that affect the vision centers on the right side of the brain will have vision loss to the left (in both eyes). Patients who have strokes that affect the vision centers in the left side of the brain will have vision loss to the right (in both eyes).
Is an eye stroke common?
Eye stroke is more common in middle-aged people and the elderly. Approximately 10% of patients that are affected with anterior ischemic optic neuropathy are under the age of 45. Cardiovascular disease raises your risk for developing the disease.
Are there warning signs days before a stroke?
- Warning signs of an ischemic stroke may be evident as early as seven days before an attack and require urgent treatment to prevent serious damage to the brain, according to a study of stroke patients published in the March 8, 2005 issue of Neurology, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
What happens in the first 3 days after a stroke?
The first days in hospital. During the first few days after your stroke, you might be very tired and need to recover from the initial event. Meanwhile, your team will identify the type of stroke, where it occurred, the type and amount of damage, and the effects. They may perform more tests and blood work.
What happens right before a stroke?
Sudden dizziness, loss of balance or coordination. Loss of vision or changes to your vision in one or both eyes, which usually happens suddenly. Feeling confused or having trouble understanding things that are usually easy for you. Numbness or weakness on one side of the body (or in one arm or leg)
Can drinking water help prevent a stroke?
Drinking enough water regularly prevents dehydration. This may play a role in keeping the blood less viscous, which in turn prevents a stroke.