Acute visual loss is a rapid loss of the ability to see. It is caused by many ocular conditions like

retinal detachment Retinal detachment is a condition where the retina pulls away from the tissue underneath it. It may start in a small area, but without quick treatment, it can spread across the entire retina, leading to serious vision loss and possibly blindness. ...

glaucoma Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that can lead to damage of the optic nerve. The optic nerve transmits visual information from the eye to the brain. Glaucoma may cause vision loss if left untreated. It has been called the "silent thief of ...

macular degeneration Macular degeneration, also known as age-related macular degeneration (AMD or ARMD), is a medical condition which may result in blurred vision, blurred or vision loss, no vision in the center of the visual field. Early on there are often no sym ...

, and

giant cell arteritis Giant cell arteritis (GCA), also called temporal arteritis, is an inflammatory autoimmune disease of large blood vessels. Symptoms may include headache, pain over the temples, flu-like symptoms, double vision, and difficulty opening the mout ...

, etc.

Main causes

Retinal detachment

Retinal detachment should be considered if there were preceding flashes or floaters, or if there is a new visual field defect in one eye. If treated early enough, retinal tear and detachment can have a good outcome.

Glaucoma

Angle-closure glaucoma should be considered if there is painful loss of vision with a red eye, nausea or vomiting. The eye pressure will be very high typically greater than 40 mmHg. Emergent laser treatment to the iris may prevent blindness.

Macular degeneration

Wet macular degeneration should be considered in older people with new distortion of their vision with bleeding in the

macula The macula (/ˈmakjʊlə/) or macula lutea is an oval-shaped pigmented area in the center of the retina of the human eye and in other animals. The macula in humans has a diameter of around and is subdivided into the umbo, foveola, foveal avas ...

. Vision can often be regained with prompt eye injections with

anti-VEGF agents Anti–vascular endothelial growth factor therapy, also known as anti-VEGF () therapy or medication, is the use of medications that block vascular endothelial growth factor. This is done in the treatment of certain cancers and in age-related macu ...

Giant cell arteritis

Giant cell arteritis should be considered in an older person with

jaw claudication The jaws are a pair of opposable articulated structures at the entrance of the mouth, typically used for grasping and manipulating food. The term ''jaws'' is also broadly applied to the whole of the structures constituting the vault of the mouth ...

, temporal pain, and tiredness. Placing the person on

steroids A steroid is an organic compound with four fused rings (designated A, B, C, and D) arranged in a specific molecular configuration. Steroids have two principal biological functions: as important components of cell membranes that alter mem ...

might save both their vision and decrease their risk of stroke. Without treatment a person can quickly go blind in both eyes.

Vascular occlusions

Central retinal artery occlusion Central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO) is a disease of the eye where the flow of blood through the central retinal artery is blocked (occluded). There are several different causes of this occlusion; the most common is carotid artery atheroscle ...

: CRAO is characterized by painless, acute vision loss in one eye. *

Central retinal vein occlusion Central retinal vein occlusion, also CRVO, is when the central retinal vein becomes occluded, usually through thrombosis. The central retinal vein is the venous equivalent of the central retinal artery and both may become occluded. Since the cent ...

: CRVO causes sudden, painless vision loss that can be mild to severe. * Branch retinal vein occlusion: sudden painless vision loss or visual field defect are the main symptom of BRVO. * Branch retinal artery occlusion: BRAO may also cause acute painless loss of vision.

Vitreous hemorrhage

It is one of the most common causes of acute or subacute decrease in vision.

Hyphema

Blood in the

anterior chamber The anterior chamber ( AC) is the aqueous humor-filled space inside the eye between the iris and the cornea's innermost surface, the endothelium. Hyphema, anterior uveitis and glaucoma are three main pathologies in this area. In hyphema, ...

of the eye is known as hyphema. Severe hyphema covering pupillary area can cause sudden decrease in vision.

References

{{Eye pathology Blindness