Understanding vision changes after a stroke

How vision may change after a stroke

Experiencing vision changes after a stroke is not uncommon, affecting about one third of people (Stroke Foundation, 2025).

There are several ways vision may change after a stroke (Stroke Foundation, 2025), including:

Visual field loss

• Homonymous hemianopia: A type of visual field loss affecting half of your vision in each eye, meaning you may not be able to see the left or the right side of your visual field in both eyes.
• Quadrantanopia: Another type of visual field loss affecting a quarter of your vision in both eyes.
• Scotoma: A ‘blank’ or missing patch of vision in your visual field, often near the centre of vision (Stroke Association, 2025).
• Other visual field loss, including central or peripheral vision loss.

Affected visual processing

• Visual neglect or inattention: People with visual neglect/inattention experience difficulty processing visual information, impacting their perception of things around them, such as not being aware of objects to one side. Visual neglect differs from homonymous hemianopia as it affects the brain’s ability to interpret visual information rather than a loss of vision, with the two often occurring together.
• Visual agnosia: People with visual agnosia have trouble recognising faces and objects. Similarly to visual neglect, visual agnosia affects the ability to process and interpret visual information.

Impacted eye movement

• Diplopia (double vision). Read our ‘stroke and double vision’ article to learn more.
• Strabismus: When one eye turns in a different direction to the other eye.
• Nystagmus: Rapid, uncontrolled eye movement. The eyes can flicker side to side, up and down, or in circles.

Other vision changes

• Dry eyes
• Blurry vision
• Sensitivity to light
• Reduced depth perception or trouble locating objects (Stroke Association, 2025).
• Charles Bonnet Syndrome: Visual hallucinations caused by the brain generating images in the missing area of vision (Stroke Association, 2025).

You may experience more than one of these types of vision changes after a stroke (Simpson et al., N.D.) and while these changes may be caused by a stroke, they can also be unrelated, and you may experience them due to other conditions or causes, before or after experiencing a stroke. 

You should have your vision checked before leaving hospital following a stroke (Simpson et al., N.D.), but if this does not happen, or if you notice any further changes after returning home, speak to your GP or eye care professional. If you had any vision conditions before your stroke, it is also important to continue any treatment or management and follow the advice of your eye care professional (Simpson et al., N.D.).

How do vision changes from a stroke differ from other vision conditions?

The main difference between vision changes caused by a stroke and other vision conditions is the area of the body affected. Conditions such as cataracts and macular degeneration impact structural parts of the eye, whereas vision changes after a stroke are caused by damage to the visual pathways between the eyes and the brain or the areas of the brain that control vision. This means that the eyes themselves are usually physically healthy, but the processing of visual information they send to the brain is affected.

Treatment, management, and recovery

In the first few months after a stroke, many people will get some improvement in their vision, however the level of improvement varies greatly (Stroke Foundation, 2025). 

Adjusting to changes to your vision following a stroke can be difficult. Everyday activities such as reading, shopping, and cooking can be more challenging than before. You may also experience difficulty navigating, whether that be around your home or out in the community. Driving may also be impacted.

Your eye care professional and allied health professionals with experience in vision – such as orthoptists, occupational therapists, and orientation & mobility specialists – may work with you to find tools, techniques, and technologies to help you navigate life with your vision.

For people experiencing visual field loss or affected visual processing, scanning can be a helpful technique to help you make the most of your vision (Stroke Association, 2025). Scanning involves deliberate movement of your head to search an environment, with the purpose of compensating for the areas of your vision that you can’t see.

Impacted eye movement may be treated with prism lenses in glasses, wearing an eye patch over one eye, or eye exercises (Stroke Association, 2025). 

Dry eyes may be managed with eye drops and light sensitivity may be reduced by wearing tinted glasses lenses or sunglasses.

Occupational therapists can work with you to help you complete everyday tasks independently while orientation & mobility specialists can help you navigate safely as a pedestrian.

Navigating life with vision changes after a stroke can be a big adjustment, and it can have an impact on your mental health. If you are having a difficult time with this, SeeWay offers free mental health support.

For more information

• Always speak to your GP or eye care professional
• Visit the Stroke Foundation