by Linda W. Arms
Brain injuries often cause many problems with our vision system. I’m not talking about a problem with the eye itself but about the work our brain does to allow us to see and interpret what we see. Problems with our vision system cause or worsen many of the symptoms associated with brain injury such as fatigue, cognitive problems, balance problems, and coordination. In all the testing and rehab efforts, our vision system is often overlooked and as a result, we continue to struggle to improve. In my case, the problems with my vision system started being addressed after about 6 months but the final rehab effort did not occur until my 4th year into rehab. I had a number of problems with my vision and I suspect they had some of the biggest impacts on the difficulties I had in functioning.
Damage to our visual systems cause problems such as:
- Difficulty with eye movements
- Double vision
- Sensitivity to light
- Reduction of visual field
- Problems when shifting gaze from one thing to another
- Difficulty focusing
- Problems reading and comprehending what is read
- Visual mid-line shift
- Sensitivity to visually busy environments
- Problems with walking and balance
If you are having problems like this, your brain must work extra hard to get you through your tasks which then causes even more fatigue. Frequently a full comprehensive vision exam is not performed on people after a TBI and these problems are not identified. I know I had to keep pushing to get my “eyes fixed”. I went to 3 different specialists who each worked with different parts of my vision problems. Today I only have the “discombobulated” sensation occasionally thanks to the various therapies. I still cannot look through binoculars without my head wanting to shake. I’m not perfect but a heck of a lot better than I was.
Testing for these vision problems is not routine after a TBI. It is important to find someone who specializes in diagnosing and treating vision problems that result from a brain injury. The military recently added these specialized tests in their polytrauma centers for TBI, however, testing is not the usual protocol for most TBI patients who do not end up in one of these types of centers.
The Center for Neuro Skills provides a good overview of visual problems associated with TBI:
http://www.neuroskills.com/brain-injury/post-trauma-vision-syndrome-1.php
http://www.neuroskills.com/brain-injury/post-trauma-vision-syndrome-2.php