A head injury or concussion can happen at any time. This time of the year brings icy and slippery roads and sidewalks which can lead to auto accidents or increased risks of slips and falls. Winter activities like ice skating, hockey or snowmobiling bring with them the risk of falls or collisions. And when kids are home on school break, being cooped up indoors in small spaces can lead to roughhousing and accidents. A head injury, even a seemingly minor one, can have lasting effects on your vision. However, the signs of a vision impairment are not always obvious. Understanding and recognizing these warning signs is crucial because untreated vision problems can lead to long-term complications and affect quality of life.
Why Vision Problems Are Common After a Head Injury
The brain and eyes work together, with different areas controlling aspects like eye movement, focusing, and visual processing. When the brain experiences trauma, it can disrupt these functions, leading to vision issues. This is especially true in cases of traumatic brain injuries (TBI) or concussions, where even a mild impact can have lasting effects on vision.
Watch for These Vision Problems Following a Head Injury
There are many common vision issues that can occur after experiencing a head injury. If you experience any of the following symptoms, it is essential to get care as quickly as possible.
- Blurred or double vision – Blurred vision can indicate issues with the brain’s processing ability, while double vision often points to problems with eye alignment or focus.
- Difficulty with Eye Tracking or Focusing – Challenges in following moving objects or quickly changing focus can result from damage to areas of the brain controlling eye movements.
- Light Sensitivity – Increased sensitivity to light is a common post-head injury symptom and can make it difficult to function in well-lit environments.
- Frequent Headaches or Eye Strain – Vision-related headaches may indicate your eyes are working harder than usual, signaling potential issues with focusing or alignment.
- Loss of Peripheral Vision – Reduced peripheral vision or “tunnel vision” may suggest damage to specific areas of the brain involved in spatial awareness and side vision.
- Difficulty with Balance or Depth Perception – A brain injury can impair depth perception, affecting coordination and making simple tasks like walking on uneven ground challenging.
- Reading and Comprehension Issues – Trouble reading, focusing on text, or staying on a single line can stem from visual processing issues, often noticed only when concentrating on small print or digital screens.
Family Vision Development Center Provides Concussion Care for Vision Issues After a Head Injury
At Family Vision Development Center, we provide exceptional post-concussive vision rehabilitation care. Our professional team has advanced training in neuro-optometric vision rehabilitation, which means we understand these types of injuries and we can provide the treatment needed to restore proper vision. Using customized, therapeutic eye exercises, our specialized vision therapy programs are an extremely effective way to retrain the eyes and brain in order to recover normal visual skills after a head injury.
We encourage anyone who has experienced any kind of head trauma, no matter how seemingly insignificant, to visit us for an evaluation. Full symptoms may not appear for days, weeks, months or years following an incident but we can help diagnose and correct any issues right away, in order to protect your long-term healthy vision. Contact us for additional information or to schedule an appointment by calling 630-862-2020.
Family Vision Development Center is a full-service vision center offering innovative vision therapy services, sports 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.