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Why Some Stroke Patients Suffer Vision Loss – and Some Don’t

Sep 24, 2026 | Insights & Articles

Patients who have recently experienced a stroke or brain injury will often tell their physicians that they are having difficulty seeing out of one eye. Although certain conditions can mimic this sensation, visual problems that occur after a stroke or brain injury are not necessarily caused by damage to the eyes themselves. In the majority of cases, the vision loss results from damage to areas of the brain that process visual information transmitted from the eyes.

According to https://www.stroke.org/en/help-and-support/resource-library/lets-talk-about-stroke/vision-changes, about 65% of people who suffer from a stroke experience changes in their vision. In addition to difficulty seeing, these changes can negatively affect overall recovery. Decreased coordination and balance problems are not uncommon. Fortunately, vision problems sometimes improve; however, most people require specialized rehabilitation.

Why Do Patients Suffer Vision Loss?

Because vision loss after a stroke is primarily neurological, whether your sight is affected largely depends on where the stroke occurs. Most strokes affect one side of the brain. In rare cases, however, both sides may be affected, potentially resulting in greater visual problems. The American Stroke Association notes that because the occipital lobe plays a major role in visual processing, strokes affecting this area can lead to vision loss

What Types of Vision Loss Are There?

Approximately 20% of stroke survivors will have a permanent visual field deficit. A visual-field deficit typically manifests as spots or blank areas within a person’s field of vision. Because visual-field loss can affect patients in different ways, we have outlined the most common manifestations below:

Hemianopia is one of the most common types of visual impairment following a stroke. People with this condition experience blindness or significant vision loss in half of their visual field. If you have had a stroke in the left hemisphere of your brain, your right visual field in each eye may be affected. Conversely, a stroke in the right hemisphere may affect the left visual field in each eye.

Quadrantanopia is similar to hemianopia, but the loss of vision occurs in one-quarter of the visual field rather than half of it.

Scotoma refers to spotty vision or smaller area of blindness than that caused by hemianopia or quadrantanopia.

Tunnel Vision is fairly self explanatory and refers to a loss of peripheral vision that resembles looking through a tunnel. Clinically, it is often described as concentric narrowing or constriction of the visual field.

Impact on Daily Life from Visual Field Loss

Because visual field loss impacts both eyes, patients may bump into objects, trip or fall, knock things over, lose their place while reading, or be startled by people or objects that seem to appear suddenly out of nowhere. They may also become reluctant to go out in public because they can easily become disoriented or lost in crowded areas.

In addition, some patients with visual-field loss experience visual neglect; that is, they may be unaware of or fail to attend to one side of their surroundings. They may turn or orient their bodies to compensate, bump into objects on the affected side, or miss parts of words while reading. It is also common for people with visual-field loss to believe that they have lost vision in only one eye.

Although you may not be able to prevent vision loss caused by a stroke, rehabilitation and other treatments may help you adapt and improve your visual function. A physician or optometrist can perform a visual-field examination to determine whether you have a visual-field deficit and assess its severity. If you want a quick assessment, you can do our Online Vision Test here. NovaVision offers two therapies specifically developed to address neurological vision loss, which may help support your recovery.  You can find out more here. This is good news for anyone experiencing vision loss due to neurological damage from a stroke or traumatic brain injury.

Patient Testimonials

David, United Kingdom

“I am most happy with what NovaVision did for me, after suffering an Occipital Lobe Stroke in December 2017 that caused eyesight loss and also cognitive problems.

I was looking for answers , after ruling out Peli prism glasses I couldn’t get on with, my Wife found NovaVision on the internet.

Whilst I still have Homonymous hemianopia to my left side vision field in both eyes, NovaVision did help me learn how to use my remaining eye sight to the full, helping me gain my driving licence back too.

Without doubt having Homonymous hemianopia is such a terrible condition to live with on a daily basis.

I thought my life was over, but it wasn’t and Nova Vision was a key factor in helping me rebuild my life back to some normality.

I highly recommend this therapy and can’t believe the Health Service in the United Kingdom don’t use it.

Thank you for everything you did for me.”

Fiona, United Kingdom

“I am very impressed with NovaVision. There was little to help after my stroke when my peripheral vision was affected, either from the National Health Service here in the UK, or privately. NovaVision seemed comprehensive, evidence based, effective and professional so I thought I would try. You need perseverance as it is a commitment to do two sessions a day 6 days a week for 6 months but it is workable, flexible, and the team is incredibly supportive. My aim in doing this course was to drive again. When I went for a vision test for driving, the optician was very impressed with the health of my eyes, the improvement in my general vision and I passed 100%. Due to NovaVision, I have strengthened my eyes generally and my prescription has gone down! My eyes are stronger. I would not be independent, driving, and on my way back to work as a Community Specialist Nurse without NovaVision. I wonder what I can achieve at the end of 6 months. This is only my third month! Thank you to the team and the programme.”

Cristian B., Australia

“Having a stroke at a young age of 35 was initially a very challenging experience. I was diagnosed with quadrantanopia (quarter of my peripheral vision loss) and I was unable to drive or read properly and, worst of all, doctors were telling me to get used to this condition, as it is unlikely to make a full recovery.

I insisted I wanted to try to regain as much of my vision as possible and I was introduced to NovaVision. From the initial conversation with Sigrid, I knew that there is hope as the narrative was different than from my doctors – NovaVision’s goal was restoration, not compensation.

I am currently on an extension and completing month 8 of VRT and still seeing improvement, documented in monthly reports and tests, which also help with Income Protection insurance benefits. I was able to resume driving and my reading skills have improved significantly. I continued improving well beyond the initial 6 months and I am very grateful! Thank you NovaVison!”

Randy, PA, USA

“May 2019 I had a stroke affecting my occipital lobe and leaving me with a left peripheral vision deficient. The OT that came into my room gave me no hope that it would ever return. The first neurologist ophthalmologist also gave me the same diagnosis even though I had by that time had some vision return. The visual field test then showed I would lose my driver’s license. My wife wasn’t satisfied with that being all that could be done and found another doctor that said NovaVision could be an option since I was getting some vision return. It was also showing on my visual field test that vision was returning but still not enough to drive. I started the NovaVision VRT in October. Twice a day for 6 days a week. It was grueling and required schedule changes in my day but as the months passed my vision steadily improved. At six months I took the visual field test with my doctor and still was not able to pass because of the state’s guidelines for peripheral vision. My doctor and I decided that another 3 months of NovaVision would be beneficial. I still showed improvements and to give up seemed like a bad idea. August 2020 was my last visual field test with my doctor and I am happy to say that with the therapy NovaVision and my consistency with completing the therapy daily, I passed and will now keep my driver’s license, my job, and my independence. I am thankful to my doctor, NovaVision, and my wife for believing in me and supporting me during this 9 month journey. I think we figured out that over the past 9 months I clicked on over 216,000 stimulus all well worth it.

Thank you for your support and Kindness over these past 9 months.”

TK – Ohio, USA, 50 (19.6% Improvement)

“In March 2005, I had a major stroke on the right side of the brain, rendering the left side of my body weak and paralyzed. The stroke really impacted my vision. Reading became very difficult because I could not easily see where the line of text began on the left. I would misread price tags when shopping because I couldn’t see the numbers on the left. $29.95 would look like $9.95. I became startled when people would approach me from the left side because they seemed to suddenly jump out at me.

I learned about VRT from someone who suffered from a stroke and benefited greatly from NovaVision. The doctor who had recommended that therapy to that patient was tentative about the treatment. I settled into a routine of doing VRT twice a day, half an hour at a time. It was psychologically good for me to be working on something at home. It helped to get monthly results from NovaVision to check my progress. I also listened to music to make the time go by faster.

After VRT, my reading is much better and scanning a computer screen is much easier. I can ride a bicycle now with confidence and now I don’t have to concentrate as hard to see on the left. I still have to scan the environment a little, but I am more comfortable getting around. Because of VRT, I do not feel startled so often.

I am enthusiastic about my results from VRT. I know VRT is responsible for the improvements I’ve had in my vision.”

CM – Canada, 48 (18.1% Improvement)

“I had a surgery 6 years ago that caused my vision loss. After three months of doing VRT, I have seen big improvements in my vision. VRT has helped my vision in numerous ways; my reading ability improved, I can scan much better, read at ease, walk with confidence, turn corners much easier, and rarely do I run into anything. I give credit to VRT which has strengthened my vision and helped me drive again. I live a normal and active life now.”

LF – Missouri, 39 (33.1% Improvement)

“My vision began coming back after the first month of NovaVision VRT, which really surprised me. With each month of therapy, I kept getting better. Now, after several months of therapy, my general vision seems to be back to normal. I passed a driving test, and now I am able to drive safely and without difficulty. My grandchildren are allowed to ride with me again. I feel really lucky to have regained so much vision, particularly since I was told I had lost it for good. I feel so much better than I felt a year ago when I felt I was at my worst, and my vision is still improving. It is amazing how much VRT has helped me.

After VRT, I am more comfortable going places and I can read normally now and enjoy the newspaper. I have returned to my favorite hobby of rebuilding my three cars, including a 1940 Ford, and driving my boat at the lake. I feel like I’m back to normal.”

Annette – Michigan

“6 years ago I lost vision in my right eye. It was black optic nerve stroke. Doctors said I’d never see again out of that eye. But unwilling to give up I discovered NovaVision on the internet. And asked to be put in a trial case study. With the help of NovaVision I restored my eyesight in my right eye from pitch black to 20/15 in six months. I was amazed. Then suddenly this year June 14th 2015 I woke up with massive blurred vision in both eyes. Unknown cause, eye health normal, suspected optic nerve problem. Unable to work put on medical leave but after two months completed NeuroEyeCoach and one month of VRT therapy. I’m happy to say I can drive again and read street signs. And even information on products that small lettering. I am so thankful without NovaVision in my life. I’d been half blind. But amazingly enough I’m completely getting my vision back once again. Every day it’s clearer and I will be returning to work soon. Thank you to NovaVision. You have saved my eyesight twice in my life.”