Vision Testing After Stroke

by Margie B.
(Hoopeston, Il)

Question:If a person is non verbal, how can they effectively be evaluated for an eye exam? My brother has expressed to me that there may be some vision problems when he sits at our table and looks outside. The expression I am getting from him is that maybe things pass by quickly, and not clear. He had a large stroke 2 months ago, his age is 52.

Answer: Opthalmologists will have training with performing eye exams on individuals who are unable to communicate effectively. I would call before setting an appointment and see if any opthamologists in your area have experience with individuals who have aphasia or have experienced stroke. The more experience the opthamologist has in this area, the easier the exam will be to perform. Specifically a neuro-opthamologist would be the best fit for your brother's examination.

You can go to http://www.aao.org/find_eyemd.cfm and enter the subspecialty of neuro-opthamology to find an eye M.D. that would meet your needs. If you can't find one in the specific city you live in, enter your state and see if there is a city close to you that has a neuro-opthamologist. If not, you can still call a general opthamologist in your area to see if they have experience with vision testing after stroke.