Amaurosis Fugax Case Study

Amaurosis fugax is a condition in which a person loses sight in one eye. The loss of vision in the affected eye may be total or partial. It usually lasts just a few seconds or minutes. Then, it returns to normal. Occasionally, it may last for several hours. This is caused by interruption of blood flow to the artery that supplies blood to the retina (lining at the back of the eye, contains nerves needed for sight). The temporary loss of blood flow causes symptoms similar to a stroke. The family of symptoms that happen from a loss of blood flow is called a Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA, mini-stroke). In the case of amaurosis fugax, the eye is the organ that is involved.

SYMPTOMS
• Painless, sudden loss of vision in one eye.
• Visual loss is …show more content…
This can be due to a buildup of cholesterol and fats (plaque) in the arteries or the heart. If some of that plaque comes off the artery and gets into the bloodstream, it can flow to the artery that supplies blood to the retina, blocking the flow of blood to the retina. When that happens, vision is lost for as long as the blood flow is interrupted.
Factors that make it more likely you will have amaurosis fugax at some point include:
• Smoking.
• Poorly controlled diabetes.
• High blood pressure.
• High cholesterol levels.
Medical conditions that may increase the risk of an attack of amaurosis fugax include:
• Heart disease.
• Diseases of the heart valves.
• Certain diseases of the blood (sickle cell anemia, leukemia).
• Blood clotting (coagulation) disorders.
• Artery inflammation (temporal arteritis, giant cell arteritis).
Since amaurosis fugax is an “incomplete stroke,” in some people it can be a sign of an increased risk for an actual stroke. A stroke can result in permanent vision loss or loss of other body functions. As a result, caring for yourself after amaurosis fugax means taking many of the same steps you should take to prevent a