Aug 24, 2022 2:41:13 PM
Many people aren't aware that, according to the CDC, vision problems aren't uncommon after experiencing a traumatic brain injury (TBI). A large percentage of the brain assists with vision, so it stands to reason that after a serious injury, vision would suffer.
But what should you do if you experience vision problems with a TBI? We're here to talk about your options. Read on to learn all about adjusting to (and correcting) vision issues after brain injuries.
Common Vision Problems With a TBI
There are several common vision problems that can arise after someone suffers a traumatic brain injury. Sometimes they're temporary, but they can also be long-lasting (especially without medical intervention).
Blurred vision is common after a TBI. You may become suddenly farsighted (meaning that you'll only be able to see things far away, and close-up things will become blurry).
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You may start to experience double vision. This can be disorienting, and it will look as if everything you see is shifted slightly to the side of itself.
You may struggle to follow moving objects. For example, if someone throws a ball, you may lose track of it even if it isn't moving quickly.
Other common examples of vision problems with a TBI include light sensitivity, headaches associated with vision problems, vision-related motion sickness, and more.
Managing Symptoms With Lifestyle Changes
There are options for managing some of your vision problems at home with lifestyle changes. If your problems are short-term, lifestyle changes provide a great way to get them under control without the need for expensive medical intervention.
It's helpful to take breaks when you're using screens. Give your eyes a rest every twenty minutes or so for about twenty seconds. This is a good way to decrease eye strain in general, but it's even more important for people with TBI-related vision problems.
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Try to avoid harsh light. Wear tinted glasses or sunglasses when you're outdoors and try to replace fluorescent lights with other options in your home.
Magnify things to make them easier for you to see without straining your eyes. Make text larger on your phone or tablet, or use magnifying reading glasses.
Managing Symptoms With a Doctor's Help
If your vision problems are unmanageable at home and they don't seem to be going away, it's time to talk to a doctor about them.
In serious cases of double vision, a doctor may recommend patching. This means that the patient will temporarily cover one eye with a patch. This reduces the information coming from that eye (thus correcting the double vision).
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In most cases, a doctor will recommend eyeglasses. Standard eyeglasses are often effective, but they may also recommend prism glasses.
We’re Here to Help
While we at Power of Patients wish we could fully eliminate vision problems for TBI and mental health survivors, we do provide them with a ground-breaking online tool to help manage these conditions.
We are also committed to driving research in both fields. Power of Patients is especially concerned with improving the welfare of those suffering from debilitating symptoms and resulting vision problems with a TBI.
Using the Power of Patients customized symptom tracker to track one’s symptoms and healing will not only help you and your clinician to better understand your symptoms in a broader context, but it will also give Power of Patients the opportunity to use your information to study effective treatments for TBI patients. Overall, it is a win-win situation for patients, caregivers, clinicians, and medical researchers.
See how Power of Patient’s symptom tracker can help you or your loved one today! We are here with you through every step of your journey.
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