Hemianopia

Hello friends. So due to my right temporal lobe AVM rupture i gained (as is called) left synonymous hemianopia. Are you familiar with this part? Now my question to you is if it can be treated and how? If your doctors advised you somehow. Mine told me there is no treatment but i doubt a little bit. Right now i lost one job cause i cannot drive because of the Hemianopia. What's your thoughts and ideas? Can you drive? My hemianopia is in the left side as i stated and it's on the 50% of the optical field.

Hi Nikolaos,

Sorry to hear about the vision loss. There was some information on hemianopia on Wikipedia, but there was no information about the particular type you have:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemianopsia

While doing a Bing search, I also found information on glasses with prisms for people with hemianopia.

In case you haven't done so, you might consult a neuropthamologist in order to get a second opinion.
Hope you can find the help you need.

Take care,
Debbie

Thank you Debbie.Maybe i should search abroad and not in Greece.My symptom is Hemianopsia

A homonymous hemianopsia is the loss of half of the visual field on the same side in both eyes. The visual images that we see to the right side travel from both eyes to the left side of the brain, while the visual images we see to the left side in each eye travel to the right side of the brain. Therefore, damage to the right side of the posterior portion of the brain or right optic tract can cause a loss of the left field of view in both eyes. Likewise, damage to the left posterior brain or left optic radiation can cause a loss of the right field of vision.

Thanks for the information. Always like to learn something new. Coming to the United States, if that is possible for you, might not be a bad idea.

Take care,
Debbie

Nikolaos I have right homonymous hemianopia since my bleed seven years ago. It has not goteen better so I don't expect it will. I do have a pair of prism glasses that help me read. They shift everything to the right so it's all in my visual field. I did not have luck with a neuro-opthalmolgist but I did with a low vision eye doctor. These are doctors that specialize in treated people with low vision for various reasons. He is the one that prescribed the prism glasses and he also taught me a few things that help me cope with the vision loss. I don't know if you have these kind of doctors in Greece but perhaps it's worth looking into. A neuro-opthalmologist may also be able to help you. I just didn't like the one I saw. Good luck.

Thank you Trish , i am currently looking into alla aspects. Waiting to hear some more opinions, thoughts and ideas

Just to let you know. I spoke with a neuropthamologist and he was very clear. Nothing can be done in order to heal homonymous hemianopsia. Not even prisms or lenses.He suggested me to continue leaving this way, the way i have learned.And for the case of driving, it's not impossible but rather difficult and needs practice and to be very careful. That's all i guess. I want get into deep to this anymore

Hi. I had an AVM bleed in 1959 when I was 9. I had visual disturbances before the bleed. After I had a total left homonymous hemianopia. They said it could improve, but never did. I could not drive, and that is difficult and still is. I am just so grateful I am still alive. You will do fine, you just may have to work harder. See a neuro optometrist or low vision doctor. I never saw an opthamologist who knew anything about visual field loss.

beans

Hi I have hemianopia as well from my last embolisatin on the avm. I lost 50% peripheral vision in both eyes of the left sides. I was told there was no way I’d ever drive again and to “just get used to it” but after getting a second opinion and doing various tests I just scraped through and was allowed to drive again. It’s not reversible or fixable but it’s worth getting further opinions.

Some people do drive with hemianopia. Most states do not allow it without specific driving instructions from an approved training or rehab center. You have to prove you are not a hazard. You learn to be able to scan, and have documentation saying you can drive. AND I can’t imagine what insurance would cost you when they find out you are hemianoptic. There are only certain training or rehab places you can get this training from. You are not allowed to drive if you use prisms. At least it was that way years ago, but may have changed. Prisms never helped me, and actually made me sick to my stomach.
I think I am saying think again about driving. I hit a lot of things when I drove. Nobody knew I could not see the left world. I drove with a teacher and 3 other kids in drivers’ ed. I was awful. But they gave me a license back in the day. When renewing the license, I would watch and listen to what was being said, so I could pull off an eye test, no matter what kind. I almost got caught once by the DMV testing for binocularity. Most hemianotics cannot see 3d even with glasses, don’t see some elevation changes in a sidewalk, miss curbs, etc. I did not like driving, and only because my husband died when he was 47, did I drive much. I ran into sides of cars, i do not know how many close calls I had, but if compared to walking, there were many close calls. I think how lucky I am to have never hurt anyone, but I could have very easily.

beans

Friends, I drive with my hemianopia, but only short distances. My hemianopia is not that bad and I mentioned it to my neuro-op doctor and he never said don't drive. I've never had my license taken away. So I guess I'm OK.

It's not impossible but quite difficult.To be honest i am a little bit afraid, not for me but for others. Don't have to hurt somebody just because i want to drive and i'm not that capable and my field is lost

Erin how is your driving? My peripheral loss is also 50% in left side.Do you find it easy to drive?