An embolism in a coronary artery is the most common cause of a heart attack. An embolism that blocks the flow of blood to the brain is one of the main causes of stroke . Both heart attacks and strokes are medical emergencies. An ambulance and your physician should be called immediately. If you suddenly lose all or part of your vision in one eye, it may be due to an embolism blocking the artery that brings blood to the retina.
Emergency treatment is required.
Symptoms your physician may observe Your physician will probably do various tests to find the exact location of the embolism. The physician will also want to determine how much damage has been done to affected tissues and organs. Regular X ray images may be taken or you may have an ultrasound scan. The scan uses sound waves to make pictures of the blood vessels to pinpoint the location of the embolism. A special kind of ultrasound examination, called a Doppler ultrasound scan, measures how well the blood is flowing.