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Eye Exercises for Stroke Victims

Recovery from a stroke is never easy, but it can be made easier with adherence to a rigorous plan of rehabilitation, including both physical and sensory exercises designed to increase performance at routine tasks. Eye exercises are particularly important for stroke victims, as the loss of visual acuity can be one of the more psychologically damaging effects of having a stroke.

  1. Stroke

    • A stroke is nothing more than a deprivation of blood flow to the brain, with the overall effects being determined by which section of the brain is so affected. Normal symptoms of a stroke include difficulty speaking, swallowing, or writing, seizures, or changes in alertness. Treatment for a stroke consists of restoring blood flow to the brain, with the success of treatment depending on how quickly it is administered.

    Eye Training

    • Reduction in visual acuity or complete loss of vision can be one of the effects of a stroke. Where vision is completely lost, little can be done, but if some measure of sight remains, your vision can be partially coaxed back to life by using dedicated eye exercises. Eye exercises are drills designed to reinforce a neural connection between the optic nerve and the brain, thus improving eyesight.

    Smooth Reading Drill

    • According to optometrist Thomas Wilson, OD, FCOVD, smooth eye movement can be retrained through use of a vision chart or even just a newspaper. Simply focus at the left side of any line of text and follow it smoothly and evenly to the right side of the page. You need not actively read the text, just stay focused upon it and let your brain perceive the information naturally. Practice in all directions--from left to right, right to left, top to bottom and bottom to top.

    Jump Reading Drill

    • Jump reading can retrain your eyes to focus accurately and precisely when moving from one object to another, which will improve the responsiveness of your eyes in general. To practice jump reading, simply scan through a section of text, counting the number of times a certain letter appears--such as "e"--throughout the passage. Let your eyes jump quickly from one "e" to the next, remaining focused and tallying up the total in your mind.

    Considerations

    • As with any new or relearned motor skill, repetition and frequency of practice are the keys to making performance a habit. Thus, you should aim to practice your eye exercises as often as possible--but at least two or three times a day in 15- to 20-minute blocks. This constant reinforcement will condition your brain to make your newfound visual skill permanent, bringing you one step closer to a full recovery.

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