Symptom 7: Visual Disturbances
As we explore deeper into the symptoms of a brain abscess, we come across visual disturbances. These are more than just common vision problems like nearsightedness or farsightedness. They’re sudden changes in vision that might be linked to the pressure exerted by the abscess on the brain’s visual pathways.
One common visual disturbance is blurred vision. This is not your typical blurry vision that can be corrected with eyeglasses or contact lenses. It’s a sudden, unexplained change in vision quality, where objects that were clear before now appear hazy or out of focus.
Some individuals might experience double vision, medically known as diplopia. This means seeing two images of a single object. This can be disorienting and make it difficult to perform tasks requiring visual coordination, like reading or driving.
In some cases, there might be partial or complete vision loss. This can be quite alarming, especially when it occurs suddenly. The vision loss might be temporary, but in some cases, it could be permanent, depending on the extent of the damage caused by the abscess.
It’s also possible to experience a reduction in the field of vision. This means that your peripheral vision decreases, and you can only see things that are directly in front of you. It’s like looking through a narrow tube, which is often referred to as ‘tunnel vision.’ (7)
