Do You Know How Traumatic Brain Injury Can Affect Your Vision?

A traumatic brain injury is caused by some type of trauma to the brain, be it an accident or a medical episode, such as a stroke. There is a close link between these types of injuries and vision issues. When going through rehabilitation after a traumatic brain injury, the effects on your vision must not be overlooked.

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Do You Know How Traumatic Brain Injury Can Affect Your Vision? Videos

Common Symptoms of Post Traumatic Vision Syndrome Explained
Amplify EyeCare of Greater Long Beach
Dr. Eric Ikeda

Common Vision Problems Caused by Traumatic Brain Injuries
Amplify EyeCare Chattanooga
Dr. Heather McBryar

Find out if you need to see an optometrist by taking the Double Vision Quiz

While the link between traumatic brain injury and vision problems is, unfortunately, overlooked too often, such injuries can lead to several noticeable vision problems. These problems are caused by the injury disrupting the communication between the eyes and brain.

In fact, more than 90% of the 2.8 million Americans who suffer a traumatic brain injury every year will experience some form of visual dysfunction, though at times those problems won’t manifest immediately after the injury, making them harder to spot.

How are Vision Problems Diagnosed Following a Traumatic Brain Injury?

Vision problems following a traumatic brain injury can be diagnosed by your optometrist or ophthalmologist, following a comprehensive eye exam. If one of your other healthcare providers notices an issue, they may refer you for the exam and treatment.

Vision Problems Following a Traumatic Brain Injury

Someone with a vision problem stemming from a traumatic brain injury may not be aware that they are indeed suffering from a problem caused by their injury. However, there are several signs to watch for that can indicate a problem.

Blurred Vision: This can be constant or intermittent blurriness, and can extend to having difficulty focusing on objects.

Double Vision: This is caused by a deficiency in eye teaming, their ability to work together. Double vision can range in severity.

Decreased Peripheral Vision: An issue also termed visual field loss, this can entail either a partial or complete loss of peripheral vision. Someone suffering from this problem may find themself bumping into objects, being struck by things they couldn’t see, or falling often

Difficulty Focusing the Eyes or Controlling Eye Movement: Brain injury can impact the ability to properly control eye movement and focusing. This can lead to a number of problems, from fatigue to eye strain to increased difficulty performing tasks which require precise eye movement.

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Loss of Vision in One or Both Eyes: Vision loss due to brain injury can be partial or complete, and may or may not be reversible.

Eye Strain: If there is a mechanical problem with eye function due to injury, the patient may experience eye strain which can cause headaches and make it harder to focus on tasks.

Sensitivity to Light: Also known as photophobia, this condition renders one extra sensitive to light. In particular, the condition can be at its worst when looking at light sources such as fluorescent lights, bright sunlight, and LCD screens.

Difficulty Focusing on Tasks: If the eyes aren’t functioning properly, it can become difficult for the patient to remain focused on tasks for extended periods of time.

Motion Sensitivity: The damage to the eyes and brain can impact how the body processes motion. This can lead to issues like vertigo or feeling of discomfort while doing things like scrolling on a digital device, traveling, or performing activities in busy environments.

Visual Memory Loss: Visual memory loss is when the patient loses some of their ability to remember visual information which is stored in either the long or short-term visual memory. This can lead to decreased reading comprehension, and difficulty recalling words, numbers, where an object was left, or other previously viewed data.

Headaches or Eye Pain: This can come in the form of a range of headaches or a stabbing pain around the eyes. Often accompanied by redness, itching, or burning of the eyes.

What Can Be Done to Help?

Neuro-Optometric Rehabilitation has been shown to be very effective in helping patients recover from vision problems caused by traumatic brain injuries. Optometrists who specialize in this field are trained to properly diagnose, treat, and oversee rehabilitation from neurological conditions which affect the visual system.

Following an evaluation to determine the precise nature of your issues, the optometrist will formulate a personalized treatment program designed to alleviate the problems and help restore your quality of life to what it was prior to the injury. The treatments help retrain your visual system to overcome the problems caused by the injury.

Start Your Journey Towards Better Vision With an Amplify EyeCare Optometrist Near You

Amplify EyeCare is a team of a passionate and experienced optometrists practicing eye care at the cutting edge of technology and vision science. We are growing with new locations coming across the US.

Visit a Neuro optometrist at an Amplify EyeCare practice near you:

Amplify EyeCare Santa Clarita in Santa Clarita, California
Amplify EyeCare of Greater Long Beach in Bellflower, California
Amplify EyeCare Chattanooga in Hixson, Tennessee
American Family Vision Clinic in Olympia, Washington

Common Questions

What are the three most common visual impairments after a brain injury?

Following a brain injury, the three most common visual impairments are visual field loss, binocular vision dysfunction (which includes problems like double vision), and visual perceptual and processing deficits. These problems can interfere with an individual's daily functioning, but a neuro optometrist, who specializes in neuro optometry, can offer targeted treatments to help manage these issues.

What are the ocular and visual complications of head injury?

Head injuries can lead to various ocular and visual complications. These might include strabismus (misaligned eyes), diplopia (double vision), blurred vision, and visual field deficits. More complex issues can involve visual perceptual problems, like difficulty recognizing objects or faces. An eye specialist can evaluate these problems and provide appropriate treatment options.

What part of the brain causes vision problems?

The occipital lobe, located at the back of the brain, is primarily responsible for visual processing and thus is often involved in vision problems. However, other parts of the brain, including areas that control eye movement and visual perception, can also contribute to vision issues if damaged.

What is the most common cause of optic nerve damage?

The most common cause of optic nerve damage is glaucoma, a condition characterized by increased pressure within the eye that can damage the optic nerve, leading to vision loss. Other causes include inflammation, compression from a tumor or injury, and certain systemic diseases like multiple sclerosis.

Summary

Vision issues are a common occurrence following a traumatic brain injury, coming in numerous forms, and these issues can have a major impact on daily life. If you are experiencing a vision issue following a traumatic brain injury, contact us to schedule an evaluation.