hemiopia

hemiopia /hemi·opia/ (-o´pe-ah) hemianopia.hemiop´ic

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hemiopia

[hem′ē·ō′pē·ə]

Etymology: Gk, hemi, half, ops, eye

a condition involving only one eye or half the visual field.

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hemianopia [hem″e-ah-no´pe-ah]

defective vision or blindness in half of the visual field; usually applied to bilateral defects caused by a single lesion. adj., adj hemianop´ic, hemianop´tic.

Patient Care. Visual field deficit on one side often occurs as a result of stroke syndrome. Patients with this problem are unable to perceive objects to the side of the visual midline. The visual loss is contralateral, i.e., it is on the side opposite the brain lesion. To facilitate self care, commonly used articles such as the water pitcher, meal tray, and call bell are placed on the unaffected side. The patient should be approached from and communicated with while standing or sitting on the side in which vision is best. When in visual contact with the patient, caregivers should move slowly toward and past the visual boundary to stimulate scanning to the affected side. Auditory and visual stimulation on the affected side can help improve and maintain residual sight on that side.

Visual field defects associated with hemianopia. From Polaski and Tatro, 1996.

homonymous hemianopia hemianopia affecting the right halves or the left halves of the visual fields of both eyes. The patient must turn the head from side to side to compensate for the defect. Often it is due not to any pathology in the eye itself but to damage to the optic tract or occipital lobe.

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hemiopia

hemianopia.