Obscured or invisible black vision, it may be a symptom of strokeProfessor Shin Hyun-jin, Department of Ophthalmology, Konkuk University Hospital

Have you ever experienced something like this? You can't see anything black, and in some cases, your vision can be half as blank as if you've drawn a curtain. In addition, you may experience a general narrowing of your field of vision due to darkness, making it difficult to see. When these symptoms worsen and return within 24 hours, it is called "transient vision loss."

There are two causes of this transient vision loss: ischemic causes, such as narrowing of the arteries in the neck, which causes blood to flow to the eyes or brain, and non-ischemic causes, which have nothing to do with ischemia, but simply cause the eyes to appear dry or cloudy.

Usually, if you are examined at the hospital with transient black vision, the eye examination is normal. There's nothing wrong with that. It should be noted, however, that hot flashes are more indicative of other serious conditions, such as narrowing of the arteries or dissection of the neck, rather than the symptoms themselves. Let me give you an example. A 70-year-old male patient who came to the hospital with transient vision loss came to the hospital with repeated symptoms of not seeing in his right eye for about 5 minutes three times from the day before. He had diabetes, high blood pressure, and a history of smoking. When I came to the hospital, the eye examination was normal. So, is he okay because his eye exam is normal? If the eye is temporarily blind and then gets better, can we safely ignore it?

There is a paper that provides an answer to this case. Titled "Follow the Guidelines!" It is. Translated into Korean, it would be something like, "Please follow the guidelines." According to this paper, about 30% of patients with transient melanoma have multiple cerebral infarction. So, if you look at the International Stroke Association's recommendation for transient vision loss, it is recommended to see an eye doctor to determine whether it is caused by ischemic or non-ischemic causes, and if it is due to ischemic disease, to send the patient to the emergency room as soon as possible for imaging tests within 24 hours to confirm that there is a stroke.

 

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In conclusion, if you are in your 50s~60s or older, if you have recurring symptoms in one eye or one vision, or if you have risk factors such as diabetes, blood pressure, arrhythmia, obesity, or other neurological abnormalities such as headache, dizziness, or double vision, this is a red flag. These people should be tested even if their symptoms improve.

 

In summary, unlike glaucoma or cataracts, black acts can suggest problems with the circulation itself, such as pumping, heart, or neck arteries, so even if the eye examination is normal, it is best to have a thorough examination.