Sudden Blindness

If you experience sudden blindness, seek emergency medical attention immediately. Do not attempt to drive yourself to the hospital, call 911 for an ambulance or have someone drive you. There are a myriad of factors that may cause this alarming condition. The only way to discern and diagnose what is causing the problem is to see a doctor right away. Whether the blindness is in one eye or both eyes it should be considered a medical emergency requiring immediate care.


This type of visual impairment may be caused by an injury to the eye. It may also be due to an obstruction of a vein or artery. There may be thrombosis of the ocular blood vessel or even retinal detachment. Other causes include migraine, acute glaucoma, acute cataracts, brain injury, stroke or even methyl alcohol poisoning. As you can see these potential causes can be life threatening which is why immediate medical help is so important. The sooner you seek treatment the better chance you have of retaining your vision and even saving your life.

It is also possible that certain medications like those used for erectile dysfunction may play a role in this issue. In 2005 the FDA required labels for these medications include information about a possible link to sudden-onset blindness. This does not mean that medicines used for erectile dysfunction cause blindness. It simply means there may be a small potential link between the two. The FDA stated that males over the age of 50 who smoke and have high cholesterol, hypotension or cardiovascular disease may be at an elevated risk of the condition known as nonartheritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy which happens when the blood flow to a nerve linking the brain and the eye is interrupted.

As mentioned in the beginning of this article, sudden blindness is a condition that requires immediate medical attention. Rather than waiting for an appointment with your eye doctor, go directly to the emergency room. The doctor who examines you there will evaluate your condition and try to determine the cause. If the cause is life-threatening it will be attended to immediately. If it is something the emergency doctor feels is benign or best attended to by a specialist you will be referred to the appropriate doctor for a later consultation.



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