Causes of Temporary Blindness

Temporary blindness, also known as fleeting blindness, can be caused by a variety of issues. Some are physical or psychological, and others come from external elements such as chemicals or cleaning products.

Heart Problems

• A variety of heart problems can cause temporary blindness. A condition known as aortic dissection causes blood to flow into the wall of the aorta. Too much viscosity in the blood can also be a culprit.

Chemicals

• Many chemicals can cause temporary blindness. This can occur intentionally, as with pepper spray or mace, or accidentally, as with cleaning products. If the eyes are washed out quickly, the blindness often goes away.

Cranial Pressure

• If fluid builds up around the membranes in the skull, it can increase pressure against nerve endings or the optical canal itself.

Conversion Disorder

• When a person experiences extreme psychological or emotional distress, a situation called conversion can occur. In effect, the brain turns the mental effects into a physical symptom, sometimes in the form of blindness.

Plants

• Various plants within the euphorbiaceae family of flowers called spurges contain alkaloids and glycosides that can cause a decrease in vision or general blindness if ingested. Another plant known as Daphne contains a toxin called daphnin that will poison a person with just a taste. Prolonged consumption will ultimately cause death.

Shingles

• Shingles is a disease that is associated with a recurrence of chickenpox. A viral infection caused by herpes zoster can reactivate the disease, no matter how many years ago it occurred, by removing the immunity from a person's body. This also causes temporary blindness.