Sudden inability to focus, dizziness, double vision: Is it a stroke?

Can you tell me more details of your symptoms prior. I've never heard of an eye stroke. I'm more concerned this is related to an infection.

No infection. It is usually vascular , seeing a cardiologist right now . running a lot of test. Narrowing of the arteries in the neck possibly. They could see the plaque running thru a small vein in my eye in photos. Luckily it started going down before it reached my brain. Not out of the woods yet since this just happened in April. Took forever to get referrals .

No infection. It is usually vascular , seeing a cardiologist right now . running a lot of test. Narrowing of the arteries in the neck possibly. They could see the plaque running thru a small vein in my eye in photos. Luckily it started going down before it reached my brain. Not out of the woods yet since this just happened in April. Took forever to get referrals .

@thisoldewe Christine, I'm glad to see you here and in peeking at your profile I know your concern also comes with knowledge from nursing. It feels strange to want to help someone when that is what your calling is about and we can't be there in person. It is so easy for a person to assume that what they experience is something they think they are familiar with. It may not be, and I know I have made a mistake like that before. Health problems have overlapping symptoms and it is so easy for anyone to assume that they are not in danger because of a familiar pattern of experience.

I pay attention to my health and I look up what my medical records say so I understand them. I do have a background in biology and can understand medical literature. I've been the patient with weird symptoms that the doctors didn't understand and it took a few years until there was a complete picture, and I've also learned from my elderly parents by advocating for them during routine and emergency medical issues. I have also known people who have had strokes including my dad who permanently lost half of his field of vision in both eyes from a stroke.

I have also experienced sudden dizziness and vertigo which was related to my spine condition and muscle spasms that were moving my cervical vertebrae around which altered circulation of the arteries inside those vertebrae that send some blood supply to the brain. At that time, I didn't know that my neck vertebrae had been rotated from a muscle spasm, and I looked up at birds flying overhead which immediately started the vertigo. Those arteries inside the vertebrae were stretched because the vertebrae had rotated independently and I had not turned my head, but in looking upward, I kinked those already stretched arteries and the world began to spin. Leveling my head right away didn't fix it, and I had to close my eyes. I called my physical therapist who was working with me and she told me how to relieve some of the muscle tension which helped a lot, and she was able to resolve the rest in her clinic. Because I was able to talk to my health provider and relieve the symptoms and stop the vertigo right away, I knew it was not a stroke, and I knew that I had this issue of neck vertebrae that rotate on their own, and adding the neck extension had caused it. If I experienced vertigo that kept affecting me, the right thing would have been to call for help or been seen with some urgency. I wasn't alone and my husband was home and I told him right away what had happened. This happens in beauty parlors too, and putting your head back into a sink, may cause similar issues. There are cases of beauty parlor strokes being caused by having the head extended too far backward and for an extended period of time.

I have had corrective spine surgery, and have not experienced vertigo since then. My neck muscles have calmed down, but I can still get a neck spasm that starts some rotation, and I can recognize it before it goes too far because of neck muscle pain and headaches on one side. Then I lay down and check my alignment with my hands, and I can work on any issues and fix them. I have learned a lot about this from my physical therapist.

Jennifer

Wow. I recently had a carotid ultrasound and I only had minor narrowing but now that I think about it, it was probably 3-4 years ago when I got diagnosed with Ortho static hypotension I fully believe this is related to a infectious cause because it all began then. How are you now? Feeling I mean in this context?

I believe I know what you’re saying about having symptoms but nothing definitely showing on blood or other tests. I have been there so many times and it can be crushing. I remember crying after an appointment like that but can’t even remember what was wrong Most of those kind of appointments were related to muscle symptoms and doctors wanted to label me with fibromyalgia even though it was only my upper trunk. Like you I had to wait for the diagnosis to be made on nerve stimulation tests and cervical MRI. I very much appreciate your nice post

Hey, yes! I have been having like every Neuro symptom… My eye doc says she can’t really see any concern, but I did get my first eyeglasses prescription ever December of 2021. And my vision is getting worse, but my eye doc still doesn’t see a cause. She has offered to refer me to Neuro-Ophthomalogy, which I will follow up on. I currently have very high viral loads of EBV, JCV, and my herpes varicella zoster viral load is high-normal. I recently had a staph infection too on my legs. I am not on immunosuppressants, no diabetes… I am being worked up for CADASIL and MS. I see a Neurovascular doc Tuesday. My brain MRI is messy and progressively so. I can’t talk sometimes. I forget where I am. I get dizzy. I fall. I have gone to the ER. Lots of docs this year… Lots ruled-out and I’m currently being worked up for MS, CADASIL, and microangiopathy-long road… Waiting on results from my second LP this month. Not sure we’re headed down the same path, but any info helps! The brain and immune system are tricky!!! 🤗 I too am doing what I can in the meantime, Pilates (I have no energy or muscles left, I’ve lost 80lbs and counting this year), acupuncture, cupping, massage, Psych NP, counselor, Registered Dietician-I realize my privilege here thanks to my husband’s health insurance, I just had to resign from my job as a nurse of 14 years at Children’s Hospital Colorado 😓 Just 10 minute walks around the block (with my donated new friend Walker 😜) really gives me a mental boost. And just being open, receptive, staying true to me, and giving back. I’m not going to lose Me just because of this crap 🤗🤣 Look forward to following you through your journey!

I do see a Cardiologist too. Abnormal ECG, tricuspid and mitral valve regurgitation, but not concerning for now-annual monitoring is all. I am a 39 year old born female sex. My brother had his first stroke at 44, my dad died at 53 from cardiac arrest (had congestive heart failure)-and his dad and grandpa died even younger than he of cardiac arrest. Lots of dementia and stroke and blood pressure stuff on mama’s side. Keep in mind, there are a lot of details I haven’t mentioned, so make sure and dig deep when researching! 🤗 Happy to answer any questions too of course!