Our brains play a critical role in our ability to see. Therefore, a traumatic brain injury (TBI) from an accident or some other event can often have a major impact on our vision. The members of our Head Trauma Service provide a closer look at the affect that TBI can have on vision and what we can be done to help those who are experiencing trouble with their vision following TBI.
What are some of the vision issues that people who have suffered from traumatic brain injury might experience?
Some common vision issues that people who have suffered a traumatic brain injury encounter include:
- Blurry vision
- Double vision
- Eyestrain
- Difficulty doing things up close like reading a book or using a computer
- Losing one’s place while reading
- Sensitivity to light
- Difficulty with reading comprehension and staying focused on a task
- Sensation of feeling out of balance and or dizzy
What sorts of things can be done to treat people with these issues?
An eye exam focused on how your eyes function and how you use your eyes on a daily basis is very important. During this exam, your doctor will look at some of your visual functions, such as how your eyes track along a line of print, how your eyes focus to keep the line of print clear and/or how your eyes align on a page and work together as a team. You may benefit from specifically prescribed tinted lenses the might help to decrease your light sensitivity. You may also benefit from neuro-optometric vision rehabilitation. With neuro-optometric vision rehabilitation, a specialized program can be designed to improve your eye tracking, focusing and teaming and the speed of processing. All of which should help you return to doing the things that you enjoyed before your brain injury.