Vision

Often a stroke causes double vision, blurred vision or partial blindness. Sometimes people cannot see anything on the right or left (hemianopia), which can lead to difficulty with balance, co-ordination or recognising familiar things or people.

• A physiotherapist or occupational therapist can help with movement and exercises to compensate for, or cope with, areas of blindness.
• A clinical psychologist can help with problems to do with processing information, like recognising familiar things or people.
• An ophthalmologist or optician can recommend vision aids like glasses or an eye patch.
• An orthoptist can help with eye-movement problems, use prisms to help join double vision and explain ways of coping with reading difficulties.

Sensation
A stroke can cause disturbances in sensation, such as a decrease or increase in sensation, unpleasant feelings of hot or cold and tingling, like pins and needles. Physiotherapy might be able to ease some of these feelings.

Links
Audio version - Stroke rehabilitation (2977 kb)
Brain attack
Recovery and rehabilitation
Physiotherapy
Occupational therapy
Speech and language therapy
Swallowing
Using the toilet
Psychological changes
Helping rehabilitation
Support at home
Rehabilitation in the community

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