Hysterical Blindness

The term hysterical blindness refers not to a medical condition, but rather a rare psychological condition in which trauma from an injury or illness results in a patient's assumed inability to see. The emotional turmoil experienced by people suffering from hysterical blindness causes them to block off visual impulses from the eyes to the brain.

Also known as a conversion disorder, dissociative reaction, or psychological factors affecting medical conditions, hysteria presents itself as an affliction of a sensory organ, in this case, the eyes. Depression, anxiety and other emotional symptoms may also be present.

More common in females and young adults, hysterical blindness is a case to be handled by a psychiatrist, not an eye care professional.

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