What is a stroke?
A stroke occurs when blood flow to the brain is blocked or there is a sudden bleed in the brain. This means that parts of the brain do not receive the oxygen and nutrition needed and are damaged. Because the brain is responsible for all of our body’s functions such as movement, sensation, speaking, understanding, thinking, and seeing, the impact of a stroke will vary depending on which area of the brain is affected.
Recovery from a stoke also varies. Some people will see improvements in the weeks and months after a stroke and continue to improve over time. For others there may be little or no improvement.
What is double vision?
Double vision is when you see two objects instead of the one which is present. The medical term for double vision is ‘diplopia’.
In healthy eyes and visual systems the eyes work together as a pair. We see a view of the world with each eye and our brain joins these two images into one, this is called ‘fusion’. Double vision usually occurs when the brain is unable to join the two images together.
You may notice double vision all of the time, for close or distance objects, when looking in a certain direction, or when you are tired.
Causes of double vision after a stroke
Double vision after a stroke has three main causes:
- The stoke may cause damage to the part of the brain which controls the eye muscles. This will cause one of the eyes to have limited movement and the eyes will no longer work as a pair. You will still see an image from each eye but because of the eye movement problem these images may be too far apart for your brain to join them into one.
- The stroke may cause damage to the part of the brain which is responsible for joining the image from each eye together into one.
- Like being unwell with a cold or flu, the stroke may cause the body to lose some of its natural strength, especially in the first weeks and months. People who were born with a slight weakness in their eyes, for example people who needed eye exercises when they were a child, may be unable to use their eyes as a team until they rebuild their strength.
Treatment
There are several strategies or treatments which can help. It is best to see an eye care professional who will find out the cause of the double vision and prescribe the most effective treatment. This could include wearing a patch or covering one eye to block out one of the images, eye exercises to strengthen your visual system, or glasses with prisms in them to help you join the two images.
For more information
- Always talk to your eye care provider about any symptoms you have and treatment options.
- Visit Stroke Foundation.
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