Are eye exercises after stroke harmful?
JUL 13, 2016
Question:
I have had a mini-stroke and nerve damage stops my left eye from looking right. Are there any eye exercises that are dangerous or harmful to me? I have noticed that on occasion, my left or right eyes feel slightly tired or taxed after some exercises.
Answer:
Mini-strokes (when blood flow to the brain is interrupted temporarily) can cause damage to the 3rd, 6th, and 4th cranial nerves which are the nerves to the tiny muscles which control eye movements. Damage to the 6th nerve is very common in people with diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol, and makes the right eye unable to move to the right and the left eye move to the left. The symptom can cause double vision when looking in certain directions. This sort of mini-stroke can get better over a period of months. No specific eye exercises are prescribed and no eye movements are prohibited or dangerous. The most important treatment is prevention of further stroke, with diagnosis and management of diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. Often people get full recovery of their eye movements without specific treatment, but some people require surgery to get both eyes straight.