Hemianopsia

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RESPONSE:

1. How bad of an injury would cause a hemianopsia? Would it depend on the object that was inflected upon the eye? Is there any form of surgery that could correct the problem or is this something that is life long?

This blindness is often linked to strike or head injury, as opposed to a hit to the eye itself, because part of the visual system is located in the brain as well as by the eye itself.

Hemianopia is defined as:

Blindness affecting half of the field of vision. Hemianopia may be caused by various medical conditions, but usually results from a stroke or brain injury. It may affect either the right or left side of the visual field and is usually permanent. Hemianopia can produce various effects, from minor to severe. For example, a person may be able to see only to one side when looking ahead, or objects that the person sees may differ in clarity or brightness. Such visual impairment can make it difficult to perform daily tasks, from reading to crossing streets. There is no specific treatment for hemianopia, but low vision rehabilitation specialists can help people learn to make the most of the sight that they have. In addition, some people with hemianopia benefit from the use of magnifiers or special prism lenses?(http://www.afb.org/seniorsite.asp?SectionID=63&DocumentID=2139#H).

Some people may see some improvement in their vision up to four months following a stroke. Again, this is highly dependent on where the damage in the brain occurred as well as the type of stroke suffered and other existing health problems. Unfortunately for many people, especially those with loss of visual field, sight loss may be permanent. (http://www.rnib.org.uk/xpedio/groups/public/documents/PublicWebsite/public_ehi_stroke.hcsp)

See a list of 21 causes of hemianopis at ...