Concussion & Vision - Neuro Visual Performance
Concussion and Brain Injury
Dizziness and Vertigo
Your vision can be a major cause of dizziness. Vision and vestibular (inner ear) have to work together. Even after Meniere’s or similar, there are often ways to improve vision to reduce dizziness and regain balance. By training the visual system to compensate for any vestibular problems, you can reduce your dizziness and get back to your life.
Headaches and Migraines
Your headaches or migraines could be caused by your vision. Do they get worse with computers, bright lights, or in busy places? Do you often feel like you just need to close your eyes to get relief? Unfortunately it’s often just diagnosed as chronic migraines without investigating how vision really functions.
Depth Perception and Balance
Many seniors who have trouble with stairs, balance and uneven ground actually have depth perception problems. This can lead to a greater risk of falling and reduce independence. In fact, many people who are referred to as ‘clumsy’ have functional depth perception problems. If you misjudge where things are, you’re more likely to bump into it, knock it over, or trip on it.
VISION IS OFTEN IMPACTED IN CONCUSSION.
Post Trauma Vision Syndrome
Are you still suffering with Post Concussion Syndrome symptoms? Up to 90% of people still experiencing symptoms have problems with how their vision works. This is called Post Trauma Vision Syndrome (PTVS). In most cases, the eyes are physically healthy and it’s a problem with how the eyes and brain work together. This can mean that PTVS is often missed by doctors who are looking at just the health of the eyes or the brain, and not how the brain is controlling or processing the vision.
Headaches, migraines, dizziness, nausea, trouble with light sensitivity, difficulty with computer screens and more can all be caused by Post Trauma Vision Syndrome. Many of the same symptoms that are attributed to Post Concussion Syndrome are caused by these vision problems. PTVS can even cause problems in busy stores or similar because vision is not being processed well so it causes sensory overload.
If you or someone you love is still having trouble after a concussion or head injury, make sure that they have their visual function fully tested. Treatment success rates are between 90-100% and may involve specially prescribed lenses and/or vision therapy.
Signs of post concussion vision problems
- Light Sensitivity
- Sensitivity to Screens
- Poor Depth Perception
- Fogginess
- Headaches/Migraines
- Reduced Reading Comprehension
- Double Vision
- Dizziness
- Fatigue
- Difficulty Focusing
- Nausea
- Sensitivity to Motion
Vision Functions Affected By Concussion
EYE TRACKING
Up to 90% of non recovering concussion cases were found to have problems with eye tracking.
EYE TEAMING
Many post concussion symptoms are caused by problems with how the eyes work together like convergence insufficiency or binocular dysfunction.
EYE FOCUSING
Your brain controls how accurately your eyes are able to focus.
VISUAL-VESTIBULAR MISMATCH
If your vision is not accurate, it will cause problems with how the eyes and inner ear work together. This can result in dizziness, vertigo, balance problems and more.
FUNCTIONAL DEPTH PERCEPTION
Sure you can see a 3D picture in a book. That doesn’t mean that you can accurately judge where the next stair is, or safely navigate uneven ground.
