Visual issues
A possible symptoms of certain types of stroke is having problems with your vision. The most common symptoms post stroke are hemianopia (blindness in half of both eyes), neglect (inability to look or turn your head to the affected side), and inattention (a delay in processing the affected side of your vision). Visual issues can impact your balance, mobility and risk of falls and make basic functioning more challenging depending on the severity. There are certain things you can do in and around your house and when out and about to help you manage these visual issues better.
Scanning
When you have a visual issue, it is important to use scanning techniques to help you compensate. This essentially involves turning the head a bit more so the object you are looking at moves into the unaffected side of your vision. This can be particularly important when crossing the road, if you do not turn your head far enough to the affected side, you may miss the entire road in your vision. Learning to improve your scanning ability can reduce your risk of missing things on that side.
Create a safe environment
When moving around your house, consider creating a nice open environment with less obstacles to have to navigate. If you have rugs, considering lifting them as they can be trip hazards if you do not spot them.
Good lighting in rooms can also help to aid your vision and gives you a better chance of seeing potential obstacles or trip hazards.
Good lighting in rooms can also help to aid your vision and gives you a better chance of seeing potential obstacles or trip hazards.
Practice eye movements and scanning
When you have a visual disturbance to a certain side, try to spend lots of time throughout the day turning your eyes and your head in that direction. Doing this can help to improve your neglect or inattention, while also helping you train your brain on how to compensate for the sight loss.