An occipital stroke involves the occipital lobe. The occipital lobe is responsible for vision. If an individual is having this type of stroke, the symptoms are distinct from the other types.
An obstruction in the arteries is the usual cause for this stroke which is ischemic in nature. Another cause is a leaking blood vessel or ruptured vessel in the brain which is considered as a hemorrhagic type.
What are the signs?
The main symptoms linked with an occipital stroke involve visual alterations such as:
- Hallucinations
The main symptoms linked with an occipital stroke involve visual alterations. - Blurred vision
- Blindness
The seriousness of the symptoms is based on the severity of the stroke. The symptoms also vary based on the region of the occipital lobe affected.
Management of an occipital stroke
The treatment for an occipital stroke is based on its severity and any complications that might arise.
For visual issues, the doctor will refer the individual to a specialist to determine an appropriate plan to restore some of the vision or ways to adjust to any visual loss.
In some cases, compensatory vision therapy is suggested which utilizes prisms to shift images from the field of vision that is impaired to the functioning field of vision. Another option is vision restorative therapy which stimulates the neurons in the brain to help the brain reorganize the neural connections to improve vision.
Outlook
Generally, it might take around 6 months before any improvement is seen in the visual field after an occipital stroke. Some individuals can fully recover while others have disrupted vision or other complications for life.