As per the recent research, the prevalence of vision issues after concussions could be high up to 69%. Concussion-related functional vision issues can be incapacitating, impacting the ability to learn, work and live a normal life to much extent.
Fortuitously, concussion-related functional vision issues can be successfully treated through the use of vision therapy.
What are concussion-related functional vision problems?
Concussion-related functional vision problems are reduced functional vision skills resultant from a head injury. Functional vision is one’s capability to move, align and focus the eyes to obtain info around you which includes the functional visual skills of eye tracking, eye focusing and eye teaming.
Eye movements – Eye movements are one’s capability to preoccupy and track a moving object and to shift fixation between the objects.
Eye focusing – It focusses on your ability to see an object visibly (specifically near ones) and the ability to switch focus amid objects at different remoteness.
Eye teaming – It is the ability to direct both the eyes to grip on the same object. Brain combines the two images, one from each eye to give the in-depth observation.
Symptoms of Concussion Vision
Symptoms for Concussion Vision may vary amid different concussed patients, but characteristic symptoms include:
- Focusing
- Eye strain
- Fatigue
- Headaches
- Blurred near vision
- Double vision
- Poor eye tracking
- Sensitivity to glare or light
- Inability to uphold visual contact
- Problems with switching gaze quickly from one point to another
- Loss of binocular vision i.e., alignment of eye
The level of the injury may impact a person’s visual information processing capability and can cause the following indications:
- Spatial disorientation
- Facing difficulty with balance and correct posture
- Deprived depth insight
- Loss of memory
- Struggling with poor handwriting
Treatment for post-concussion vision issues: For every patient, treatment for a functional vision problem resulting from a concussion will be different. Once the specific issue is diagnosed by the Caring Vision experts’ team, our developmental optometrists may recommend necessary treatment methods listed above.
Eyeglasses: Prescription lenses specially designed to improve visual function and alleviate symptoms.
Syntonics:A disproportion in the autonomic nervous system is usually seen in traumatic brain injuries. This imbalance could negatively affect the use of vision of a person. A non-invasive treatment using therapeutic light, syntonic phototherapy can be effective in re-establishing the balance to the autonomic nervous system, which wires the recuperation of visual skills.