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What is a stroke?

Stroke is a cerebro-vascular accident or brain attack.  There are two types of stroke: ischaemic – where there is a blockage of blood flow to part of the brain – and haemorrhagic – where there is a bleed in part of the brain.

 

How common is it?

Every year, an estimated 110,000 people in the UK have a first stroke. Another 30,000 will have a recurrent stroke. Some individuals may have transient signs and symptoms that last less than 24 hours and this is termed a TIA (transient ischaemic attack). It is very important to follow up on such transient problems as TIA is a known precursor to a full stroke.

 

How common is visual impairment following stroke?

Visual impairment is common following stroke and includes problems such as blurred vision, double vision, field of vision loss, wobbling vision and many others. These symptoms can be addressed in a variety of ways such as with targeted treatment, advice, compensatory strategies and so on. This is important as visual impairment impacts on mobility, rehabilitation, driving, reading and general activities of daily living.

 

General information

http://www.patient.co.uk/health/Stroke.htm

http://www.cks.nhs.uk/patient_information_leaflet/Stroke#