Sudden Blindness: Can It Happen?

Yes, sudden blindness can occur in one or both eyes. It’s a medical emergency and you should seek help as soon as possible.

But what causes it? Is it serious? Will your eyesight ever come back? The answers to these and more aren’t as simple as a yes or no. The prognosis will depend on the cause and how quickly clinical treatment is commenced.

Sudden Loss of Vision: Potential Causes, Treatment, & Prognosis

• Sudden blindness: why can it happen?
• Treatment for sudden blindness
• Prognosis for sudden blindness

Sudden blindness: shy can it happen?

There are multiple causes behind sudden loss of vision. These include:

• Retinal damage: Such as a retinal detachment or hole in the macular. The retina is a thin layer of light-receiving cells that line the back of the eye. It can sometimes become detached and is usually preceded by symptoms that include the sudden appearance of floaters and a shadow or curtain in your vision starting from the top or side of the eye.
• Vitreous hemorrhage: The vitreous is the jelly-like substance within the eye. If blood leaks into this, it can partially or totally block the flow of light through the eye.
• Acute glaucoma: This disease causes the internal eye pressure to rise, mainly because the eye’s drainage channels become less efficient. A sudden increase in this can cause vision loss.
• Eye trauma: Serious eye injury has the potential to disrupt vision.
• Endophthalmitis: A rare, serious infection of the inside of the eye. It’s either bacterial or fungal in nature and affects the clear gel within the eye. It can also spread to the eyeball and even into the eye socket. When this happens, the condition is called Panophthalmitis.
• Problems with blood vessels: Any condition that prevents the blood from flowing correctly through the eye or to the optic nerve can potentially cause sudden blindness. Such an event is termed an “occlusion”.
• Ocular migraine: This is a particular type of migraine that’s accompanied by visual disturbances or a temporary reduction or loss of vision.
• A stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA): Vision loss can be a symptom of a stroke and requires immediate medical attention.

This list is by no means exhaustive but gives an overview of some of the reasons behind partial vision loss or sudden blindness. Can it happen to you? Absolutely—it’s a risk for everyone, although some people have a higher predisposition than others.

Factors that increase risk include:

• Having diabetes.
• Having glaucoma.
• Lifestyle choices, such as smoking or excessive alcohol intake.
• Genetics.
• Previous eye injury.

Treatment for sudden blindness

How the condition is treated will depend on the cause. The eye doctor will take a full history and carry out examinations and tests. Some conditions only require conservative action, such as medication to lower eye pressure or cure an infection. Others need instant intervention, including surgery, if deemed necessary.

Prognosis for sudden blindness

The prognosis will depend on the cause of the vision loss. In many cases, such as ocular migraine, the problem is transient and goes away within minutes. A TIA, while it is a cause for concern, is another condition where sight usually returns within minutes or hours.

The key takeaway is that any sudden disruption to vision, no matter if it’s short-lived, needs immediate medical attention. You should visit your eye doctor or nearest ED immediately. If you don’t have someone to drive you, then call 911.

While all this sounds very frightening, rest assured that ophthalmologists have many ways of treating even the most serious of eye conditions. The chances of regaining some or all of your vision remain good in the majority of cases. 

Sudden Blindness: Can It Happen to You? Reduce the Risk with Regular Eye Checks as the WBEC

The risk of a sudden loss of vision is influenced by many factors. Age, pre-existing medical conditions, genetics, and lifestyle choices all play a part. By far the best way to reduce the chance of suffering from a condition that causes sudden blindness is through regular eye checks.

At the West Boca Eye Center, we specialize in treating and caring for a variety of different eye conditions, including diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma, as well as definitive care for eye emergencies, cataracts, and more.

Discover more at https://www.westbocaeyecenter.com/