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A sudden loss of vision, or sudden blurred vision, should prompt an emergency call to an ophthalmologist (off-thul-MAHL-uh-jist), a medical doctor who specializes in eye health and disease. If one isn't available, you should proceed to an emergency medical facility. This can be the most serious type of eye problem. Vision loss can include a partial loss, such as half vision or a gray-out that occurs in one or both eyes, with or without accompanying pain or other symptoms. If the vision loss is in one eye, called unilateral loss, the important question is whether or not the problem is temporary. If you're experiencing a loss of vision in both eyes, called a bilateral loss, chances are that the trouble isn't originating in your eyes. One cause could be a breakdown in the pathways that connect your eyes to your brain. A sudden, painless, one-sided loss of vision that can last either a few seconds or several minutes, could be a sign of the condition amaurosis fugax (am-oh-RO-sus FOO-gax), or fleeting blindness. The loss often progresses from the edge to the center of your vision, like a curtain closing. The visual symptoms may also be accompanied by neurologic symptoms, including temporary paralysis, a loss of sensation on one side of the body, and a loss of speech. This condition is caused by insufficient blood flow through one of the neck arteries or its branches to the eye as a result of clots or spasm. It most commonly occurs in people over age 50, and it indicates a significant risk factor for stroke. Other causes of a sudden loss of vision can be atypical migraines, hypotension, anemia, or a tumor. Another condition that can lead to sudden permanent vision loss in one or both eyes is giant cell arteritis (are-tuh-RYE-tus), which is a disorder of your auto-immune system. It's an inflammation that affects blood vessels, especially those near the eye. Again, if you suffer any sort of sudden vision loss, you should seek immediate help.
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