An eye stroke or retinal artery occlusion is caused by a clot or narrowing of the blood vessels to the retina. This interrupts blood flow to the retina which untreated can result in permanent damage to the retina and loss of sight.
Symptoms of an Eye Stroke
Symptoms of an eye stroke may include:
- sudden change in vision or loss of vision
- blind spots
- “floaters”
- blurry or distorted vision
Treating an Eye Stroke
Current treatments are clot dissolving medicines, a procedure to move the clot away from the retina, and widening the arteries in the retina with an inhaled gas. These treatments optimally would be done within a few hours of symptoms and sadly are often unsuccessful.
However, a new treatment is currently in development…
A drug called QPI-1007, which is injected into the eye three times over a six month period, is being tested at The New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai. Researchers believe that when treatment with this molecule is started within two weeks of the eye stroke, further loss of vision may be prevented and some of the vision that had been lost may be restored.
See Your Eye Doctor
Should you experience any sudden change or loss of vision, see an eye doctor immediately.
Husband had a stroke in right eye