Peripheral Vision Loss


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I suffered 2 strokes, one in late October and the second in early September. I am 41 years old and in decent physical shape. After the first I had no noticable symptoms other than a headaches. The second, which felt milder than the first resulted in a loss of my peripheral vision and as a result I no longer feel safe driving other than two blocks to Walgreens or a block to the grocery store. My neurologist told me that he thougt my vision would return in about 8 weeks and the opthmologist told me that it might be permanent. It has now been over 8 weeks with no noticable improvement other than getting used to it. Its strange I can watch TV and it almost seems normal but if I look at a magazine I can hardly see the pictures, they just look like disconnected blobs. My vision is still 20/20 and I can read w/o too much difficulty but looking for objects on counters etc. frustrates me to no end. The lack of progress is starting to frustrate me and I am tired having to bum rides from my wife to work and back every day. I am grateful that it is not worse than it is because at least I am able to work. I am a civil engineer and do all of my work on the computer. Other than constantly searching for the mouse cursor it has not affected my productivity too much. I am wondering if anyone else has experienced damage to their visual field/acuity and if it healed in time? I start therapy on Monday at the Patricia Neal Stroke Rehabiltation Center in Knoxville, TN although I am sure that they do too much to help with visual field loss. I find this condition both frustrating and depressing. I think it is the lack of mobility that bothers me the most. It is not so bad that I cannot drive at all, I just do not feel safe in doing so and am afraid that the loss of peripheral vision might eventually result in a traffic accident. Similar experiences, treatments, success stories, encouragement etc. would be greatly appreciated.

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mb,

What you are describing is called hemianopsia.I also had a severe peripheral vision loss and field cut. I would walk into walls on my left side and continually veer ff to the left. I was also unable to drive. Aside from just losing your peripheral vision, your brain readjusts your center of vision which is what makes driving so terribly dangerous. You think you are going straight and you actually can end up in the next lane. My acuity was also 20/20 which I agree made it all the more frustrating because it doesn't seem like there's anything wrong. The good news is it is a correctible problem. I wore prism glasses for about a year and went through vision therapy. I no longer need to wear glasses my vision is completely restored to its prestroke state, and my license was reinstated. If you want to read up on it a bit more you can check it out at: http://www.braininjuries.org/hemianopsia_field_loss.html

If you have any questions feel free to pm or email me merichsen@strokenetwork.org

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I am not allowed to drive and have alot of difficulty. Not only did I loose my peripheal vision I acquired a double or split vision. Now I have to determine which is real or I can really get messed up by falling etc. My strokes were in 2 of 07 and there has been no improvement. I have done all the standard things such as patching one eye. That drives me really batty. I function best I can. I have learned to adapt by closing one eye alot. Kind of a sqinted close like when the sun is to bright. One would think that would be alot like patching an eye ..... but it is not the same. ?!?

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I had my stroke in 2001 when I was 12 years old and lost peripheral vision in the leff side so no left field vision in BOTH eyes. When I started back to school in 9th grade, it was very hard navigating through the crowded hallways. I got knocked over a couple of times. For 2 years I tried to get my license but it was always another excuse that eventually boiled down to my loss of vision. I finally just got my permit in July this year. I have adapted to driving with my dad helping. I keep my eyes on the left lane and side of the road then use my good peripheral vision on my right side to use what my central vision would usually see. It is frustrated watching movies. reading, and following the cursor on the screen. I hate the fact that the doctors say the eyes are ok but the nerve damage is permanent. You can get through this though. I remember a game I used to play in physical rehab. It was a wall with buttons on it that lighted up. It kind of trained my brain to look to the left more. I have adapted to turning my head and using my extra super hearing to remind me when something or someone is to my left and Im not looking

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My peripheral vision loss is in the upper left hand quadrant and lower right hand quadrant in each eye. Can that be compensated for with corrective eyeware? Where did you go for therapy? I start Monday at Patricia Neal in Knoxville, TN but I talked to one of the staff members on the phone and she said she was not sure if they could do much in the way of visual therapy. It has been recommended that I see a Neuro-Opthmologist. Any suggestions/feedback would be greatly appreciated.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

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Hello,

 

You may get help through your stroke rehab therapy! You will probably be working with a Speach Therapist and Occupational Therapist. My husband's hemianopsia (Homonymous Hemianopia / Hemianopsia) has not resolved. His is quite severe and affects his right side, from midnose to the right. I'm sure you know the hemionopsia is not the eyes, but the brain that has been damaged. My husband now uses a specialist, a neurological ophthalmologist. He specializes in eye loss related to brain issues. Bill's actual vision was not affected either. When my husband was in rehab therapy the occupational therapist recommended the neurological ophthalmologist. Yes, you should see a neuro-ophthalmologist.

 

I tell you, I would never want my husband to drive - even a block. Many, many times he has seen the right lane of traffic coming toward us clear and told me it was ok for me to go, only to have a line of traffic coming from the right. He has lots of right side neglect and so you need to avoid that.

 

You may want to check out the following site: http://novavision.com. I thought it looked interesting and promising, but I think my husband's cognitive abilities were too severely compromised for it to be of benefit.

 

Good luck,

 

Ann Rogers

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Ann is correct you should see a neuro-ophthalmologist. I apologize I thought you had already been diagnosed and were looking for further information or others who had had it. I received therapy at Kessler Institute which is a stroke rehabilitation hospital in New Jersey so that won't help much. A neuro-ophthalmologist will be able to either provide therapy or direct you to where it can be provided in your area.

To help you find a neuro-opthalmologist http://www.nanosweb.org/patient_info/finda/index.asp

Keep us posted on how you make out

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Hi there:

 

I could watch TV fine as my neuro optician suggests it was "one" dimensional...No depth perception needed no batteries included. I see you have issues reading, but you also may want to have someone read this article. This is what I was diagnosed with. To each their own......

 

http://www.neuroskills.com/tbi/vision1.shtml

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i also lost vison i could see oct 1 now i see well enough to drive but dont have the memory skills, rthis thing gets us one way or a nother

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  • 2 weeks later...

Well I am slightly bummed. I went to the stroke rehabilitation center and they referred me to a neuro-opthmologist. They said they did not do too much for vision. I went to the neuro -opthmologist today and he said I am the first case he has heard of that lost vision in diagonal quadrants of each eye (upper right/lower left). He fashioned some prism glasses for me to try out and they made it worse. I could see two of everything which was annoying. What I am seeking is therapy that might help me recover my visual field cut. He said he did not know of any exercises I could do. He did have me try on a pair of glasses with yellow lenses and they help eliminate some of the annoying white spots that I see so I guess I will get a pair of those. I want to be able to drive again. I can read, watch tv and do not bump into objects but have a hard time finding things on counters and driving is too scary. He said that maybe neuro plasticity will kick in in perhaps 6 months and I may regain my vision, maybe not. Surely there are therpaies available to teach people to compensate for a visual field loss. I have seen 3 specialists in Knoxville, TN and so far have had zero luck. I am frustrated.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I suffered from double vision after my stroke. I was told my eyes would not get better. Then one day I woke up and Poof!! no more double vision. I too was using a neuro opthamologist. No exercises or anything. Hope same happens for you! Beth

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I went to the novavision website and took the test. It was scary to see that I missed everything in the entire left grid. Unfortunately the therapy is only offered in 2 cities in N.C and I dont live close to neither one :(

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I'm extremely reluctant to fork out like $4000 for the Novavision equipment as it is not covered by insurance and may or may not work. I too took the visual field test and it pretty much confirmed the test I had done at the opthmologist. It seems that all of the neurologists, opthmologists and neuro-opthmologists I have seen are content to tell me that my vision loss will probably be permanant without even a hint of therapy.

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I am a Brain Stem Stroke Survivor, November 03, and I lost my perf. vision 100%. I had to turn in my Driver's license and it broke my heart. I hated losing my independence and having to always have to rely on someone to drive me where I needed to go. But, at least I am still here to enjoy life and yes, I still do drive. I drive people crazy hehehe :roflmao:

 

I took the test they had here and the results were very right on target. I am going to let my Specialist's know about this link. Thank you for the information.

 

Have a blessed day,

Jan

Believe In Miracles And SOAR

 

P.S. There is no way I would even try driving a block or two, it only takes a quick moment to hit a child or something else. Not a smart idea even though I know getting behind the wheel would be a wonderful moment in time.

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