Concussion and Vision Problems: 6 Facts
1. Concussions are a mild form of traumatic brain injury
2. More than half of all concussions in people aged 0 – 95 are caused by falls
3. Head trauma from sports activity is the fifth leading cause of concussion
4. 50% of the brain is involved in vision
5. 20 – 40% of people suffering from concussion/traumatic brain injury will experience related vision disorders
6. The cursory visual field checks in a doctor’s office post-head trauma will not detect most resulting vision problems.
Have you or someone you know experienced a concussion or traumatic brain injury and now suffer from vision problems? Here is a list of the most common vision symptoms post-concussion:
Blurred vision
Sensitivity to light, glare sensitivity
Headaches with visual tasks
Reading difficulties; words appear to move
Reading comprehension difficulty
Memory difficulty
Double vision
Aching eyes
Inability to maintain visual contact or focus
Reduction or loss of visual field (Visual Field Loss)
I and other developmental optometrists like myself diagnose and treat these types of vision problems known as Post Trauma Vision Syndrome. For a list of developmental optometrists near you, visit the website for College of Optometrists in Vision Development. And know that I’m always available to answer any questions you may have.
