What might cause temporary vision loss in children?

Answer:
Temporary vision loss in one eye can be caused by many different things. While this symptom can result from benign causes like floaters, refractive error (like nearsightedness), or migraine, it may also point to more serious issues like optic neuritis (inflammation of the optic nerve), retinal inflammation, retinal occlusion (when blood flow to eye is blocked) or epilepsy.

Before attempting a diagnosis, the severity of the vision loss and its duration needs to be clarified.   Also, helpful to know is whether any additional symptoms were present, both visual and systemic (affecting other parts of the body). Seek an exam with your child’s doctor immediately to determine the cause and whether treatment is needed.