When you think about the physical symptoms that someone might suffer after a stroke, there is a list of issues that might come to mind. Difficulty with speech, loss of movement, poor coordination, and cognitive difficulties come immediately to mind. But there are often other issues that can occur after a stroke, including loss of eyesight and even blindness.
Research indicates that about 30 percent of those that have a stroke suffer some sort of loss of eyesight. For some, this is minor, but not all. This vision loss, called hemianopia, is caused by damage to the neuronal pathways inside the brain–damage caused by the stroke.
Recently, researchers have begun using new MRI mapping techniques to better understand why some stroke survivors lose vision. This new mapping technique brings with it hope that by better understanding what is happening within the brain that contributes to vision loss that the problem can be more effectively treated and perhaps even reversed. The traditional method of examining eyesight loss is called perimetry, which tends to be very imprecise. The new technique combines perimetry with MRI to create a much more detailed map of the brain as it pertains to vision loss. Researchers found that when these two things are done in conjunction with one another, therapies and treatments could be executed with better projected outcomes for recovery.
The study was conducted by a team of researchers from the University of Nottingham. They published their findings in the journal, Frontiers in Neuroscience. Although it is a relatively new area of study in the fight to help prevent and treat stroke, it holds a lot of promise for helping to restore vision for those that have been negatively impacted because of this.
When a loved one has had a stroke, life can change quickly. Your older loved one might change overnight from someone who is fully independent and capable to someone that suddenly needs a lot of help with the daily tasks that they once took for granted. Someone who understands what a stroke does and the unique needs that might come along with it is important. You don’t want just any caregiver for a loved one. You will want someone with professional knowledge and experience.
If you have questions about how the right senior care can help make a loved one recovering from a stroke life’s easier, please let us know. We know that when their life is made easier through care, everyone in the family has a burden lifted from them, too. We’d love to help you learn more about care and get you pointed in the right direction. Maybe in-home care is the ideal choice for your unique situation, but maybe not. Everyone is different. That’s why working with the right care service is so important. You want someone who will take that uniqueness into account when creating a care plan.
Give us a call today to get started. One of our trained professionals would love to talk more with you during a free consultation, answer all your questions, and help connect you to the resources that will help your entire family.
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