A temporary loss of vision is also known as Amaurosis fugax. It typically occurs in only one eye and can last anywhere from a few short
seconds to a few minutes. Some patients refer to it as episodic blindness. It is a rare condition for most, however, it if does happen to you treatment is imperative to prevent permanent loss of vision. When episodic blindness occurs, it is commonly a sign that something else is on the horizon including a stroke which is why you should view this as an emergency.
What Causes it?
In most patients who have experienced temporary vision loss found that it was because of loss of blood flow to the eye. There are blood vessels present on either side of the neck which allows blood to travel from your heart to your eyes and brain. As fatty deposits of plaque buildup in the blood vessels they become narrower.
Smaller pieces of the plaque begin to break off from the vessel causing a blockage which keeps blood from flowing to the eye. This is what essentially causes the temporary blindness. Some of the main factors in this condition are diabetes, smoking, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol which can all put you at risk for temporary eye loss.
Other possible causes of temporary blindness includes: migraine headaches which causes spasms and narrowing in the blood vessels that lead to the eye. Sickle cell anemia which is a blood condition that is inherited can increase the risk. Also, a sudden rise in the pressure to the eye also known as acute angle closure glaucoma can also lead to temporary vision loss.
What Are the Symptoms?
The most common symptoms of temporary blindness is a sudden blindness in one eye that is gone within a matter of seconds or minutes. Those who suffer from this describe it as seeing a shade pulled down over their eyes. There is no pain involved and the other eye is typically fine to see out of.
Diagnosing the Problem
If you’ve experienced any of the symptoms above you should get to your primary care physician or an eye doctor right away. From there they will examine your eyes and run a series of tests that might include: blood work, ultrasounds which display pictures of the neck vessels to check for narrowing or blocking, CT scan to show a detailed picture of the blood vessels in the brain, and MRI which sends radio waves to capture a picture of the blood vessels and the brain, and an echocardiogram to see how well the heart is pumping blood.
Treating the Problem
Treatment for temporary blindness of the eye will depend upon what caused it. A doctor may prescribe some blood thinners or aspirin to help prevent blood from clotting. However, causes such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes will need to be treated with medication and proper dieting. For those who smoke it will be required that they stop. However, for more serious blockages it may be necessary to undergo surgery to have the blockage removed.