Monthly Archives: March

5 Surprising Benefits of Vision Therapy for Adults

Vision therapy is often suggested as a treatment for children’s vision disorders. However, vision therapy for adults can be an incredibly effective option that should be explored for a variety of reasons. You may not realize it, but your eyesight is linked to your overall health and well-being. When you have poor vision, it can impact your ability to perform everyday tasks and may even lead to more serious health problems.

That’s where vision therapy comes in.

Vision therapy is a type of in-office rehabilitation that uses special eye exercises to treat a variety of vision problems. For example, it can be used to correct conditions such as lazy eye, crossed eyes, and even double vision. But vision therapy isn’t just for children – it can also be used to treat vision problems in adults.

There are many benefits of vision therapy that are often overlooked. Here are some surprising benefits of vision therapy for adults and how it can help improve your overall quality of life.

Better Depth Perception

Depth perception is the ability to accurately judge the distance and position of objects in space. It is a vital skill that is essential for everyday tasks such as driving, walking around, sports, and more. Poor depth perception can lead to issues with spatial awareness, coordination, and overall safety. Fortunately, vision therapy can help improve depth perception in adults. The individualized therapy programs can help to strengthen the eye muscles and help your eyes work together. The result is improved depth perception which can help you better perform everyday activities and improve your quality of life.

Improved Hand-Eye Coordination

Poor hand-eye coordination can lead to difficulty completing simple tasks, such as tying your shoes or writing something down. Hand-eye coordination is also important for playing sports, operating machinery, and other activities that require precise coordination. Fortunately, vision therapy can help improve hand-eye coordination in adults. The customized vision therapy exercises can help strengthen and improve the connection between your eyes and hands. This leads to a greater ability to complete these daily tasks that may have previously been difficult to accomplish.

Enhanced Fine Motor Skills

Fine motor skills are used for tasks such as handwriting, buttoning a shirt, or turning a key. As adults get older, they may find increasing difficulty completing these types of tasks. Vision therapy for adults can focus on developing these fine motor skills, thereby helping to improve and strengthen the muscles used for these types of activities.

Improved Reading Ability

Strong reading comprehension is necessary for success throughout life. In fact, activities such as understanding directions, applying for a job, giving a presentation or simply enjoying a good novel can be affected without proper reading skills. Many vision disorders that affect reading ability can be effectively treated through vision therapy for adults. For example, conditions such as convergence insufficiency (eye teaming), amblyopia (lazy eye), and strabismus (eye turn) can all be corrected through vision therapy for adults.

Greater Confidence

An adult that suffers from a vision disorder can feel self-conscious, embarrassed or socially withdrawn. Correcting visual impairments later in life can actually give an adult a renewed sense of confidence, as it improves their ability to accomplish tasks and interact with others. Additionally, overcoming the challenge of poor visual skills can provide the motivation and determination to persevere through life’s obstacles as they come up.

Contact Family Vision Development Center for Vision Therapy for Adults

At Family Vision Development Center, we specialize in individualized vision therapy programs for both children and adults. Contact us at 630-862-2020 to learn more about all the benefits of correcting your vision at any age.

Family Vision Development Center is a full-service vision center offering innovative vision therapy services, post-concussive vision rehabilitation, comprehensive vision exams for eyeglasses and contact lenses, management of ocular diseases including glaucoma, diabetes, macular degeneration and cataracts, and a state-of-the-art optical center offering the latest designs in eyewear.

Vital Concussion Care: 8 Do’s and Don’ts to Stay Protected

A concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury (TBI) that occurs when a violent jolt or blow to the head causes the head and brain to move back and forth very quickly. Proper care following a concussion is essential in order to minimize the effects and prevent lasting repercussions. So, remember the following tips if you have been recently diagnosed or if you even suspect a concussion.

Concussion Do’s and Don’ts

DO immediately stop participating in physical activity. It is very important to get as much rest as possible for the first 24-48 hours. That means taking it easy and getting plenty of sleep, assuming you have not noticed any red flags that could indicate a more serious injury. These signs of a serious injury, such as a bleed or skull fracture, can include:

• Loss of consciousness
• Seizures or convulsions
• Weakness or numbness in arms or legs
• Unable to wake up easily
• Worsening headache
• Increasing confusion, slurred speech or odd behavior
• Bruising around the eyes or ears
• Amnesia

If you notice any of the above signs, seek emergency medical attention right away.

DON’T drive for the first 24 hours following a head injury. This time should be used for evaluation and rest. Similarly, you should avoid school or work until you feel better.

DO see your doctor for an evaluation as quickly as possible. It is always best to have a medical professional assess your injury and determine how serious it is.

DON’T ignore the symptoms. Unfortunately, concussion symptoms are not always easily recognizable. Therefore, watch for any of the following signs and symptoms, which can be cause for concern following a head injury:

• Headache
• Neck pain
• Light sensitivity
• Any changes in vision
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Balance issues
• Memory loss
• Confusion or difficulty concentrating
• Feeling like you’re “in a fog”
• Anxiety, nervousness or depression
• More emotional or sad feelings
• Loss of energy
• Fatigue
• Sleeping too much or too little

DO understand that symptoms can appear right away, or you might not notice them for days, months or longer.

DON’T take pain relievers such as Advil, Motrin, Tylenol or Aleve, unless directed by your doctor. These can mask symptoms, making it difficult to fully understand the effects of the concussion.

DO follow all instructions provided by any healthcare professionals you are seeing.  Even if you start to feel better, it is important to keep up with care protocols established by your doctors in order to maintain proper recovery.

DO seek treatment from a provider who is qualified to treat vision problems following a concussion. Our optometrists have advanced training in neuro-optometric vision rehabilitation. That means we specialize in brain injury-related problems and we know how to correctly diagnose and treat vision issues associated with this type of injury.

Visual Rehabilitation Following a Concussion

Vision problems following a concussion are extremely common and can become persistent if not treated properly. As such, Family Vision Development Center should be an integral part of your concussion recovery process. Our specialized neuro-optometric vision rehabilitation can help restore visual function that has been compromised following a concussion. For instance, this type of therapy is an effective treatment for issues with eye focusing, proper eye movements & tracking, depth perception, loss of peripheral vision and more, all of which can occur due to a concussion.

Early treatment is always best, so DO contact our office at 630-862-2020 for a neuro-optometric evaluation if you have been recently diagnosed with a concussion.

Family Vision Development Center is a full-service vision center offering innovative vision therapy services, post-concussive vision rehabilitation, comprehensive vision exams for eyeglasses and contact lenses, management of ocular diseases including glaucoma, diabetes, macular degeneration and cataracts, and a state-of-the-art optical center offering the latest designs in eyewear.