Cloudy vision after stroke

by Melissa
(Reno, NV)

Question: My mother had a stroke 1 yr ago. It caused partial loss of vision on her right side. During a 4 day road trip, her vision would get cloudy and she has to wipe her eyes. This continues while watching TV at home. Should we be worried?

Answer: Strokes can definitely cause vision issues, but it sounds like from your question that the blurry vision is a recent development that did not originally occur with the stroke she had a year ago. She would need to see an eye doctor to determine the cause. Many issues can cause blurry vision including cataracts, age-related changes, eye strain from TV/computers, dry eyes, infection, and stroke to name a few.

If the blurry vision appeared suddenly and especially with any other symptoms (such as a decline in cognition/speech, weakness, unsteady balance, headache, high blood pressure, etc.) then you would want to get her to the doctor or ER right away to make sure she isn't having another stroke. If unsure, it's always better to err on the side of caution. Whatever is going on could range from something less serious to something very serious especially considering she has a history of stroke. There is no way to know unless she goes in to get diagnosed.

Stroke can occur that only leads to changes in one area such as vision, so other symptoms do not have to be present. That is another reason it is important to be seen by a doctor. Strokes go undetected sometimes because people think there has to be a myriad of symptoms that occur, but that is not always the case. I've definitely seen strokes that only cause eye changes and not other noticeable symptoms. It's not as common, but it definitely can happen.

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