Eye Doctor Edmonton | Concussions Can Affect Patients Vision

Eye Doctor Edmonton | Concussions Affect Patients Vision

There are 3.8 million concussions occurring every year according to eye doctor Edmonton. And once a person has their first concussion, they become four times more likely to have a second concussion within the next two years.

People who have had a concussion in the past, will have more severe impacts by all future concussions. Making it even more important that patients not only avoid concussions. But heal from those concussions. So that they can minimize their risk.

A concussion is a type of mild brain injury according to eye doctor Edmonton. However, not all patients develop symptoms from their concussion immediately. It can take a patient up to 7 to 10 days after getting injured. For a lot of their symptoms to start to show up.

Once they have those symptoms, if not properly treated. They can persist for well over a year. Making it extremely important for people to get a proper diagnosis. So that they can get treated for these symptoms.

However, even mild injuries can lead to concussions. And when symptoms show up ten days later. Many people do not associate the symptoms they have with their injury.

Eye doctor Edmonton says some symptoms can include things like dry eyes, eyestrain and double vision. But can also be other symptoms such as headaches, balance issues and hypersensitivity to motion. That are a little bit more difficult to associate with their injury.

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In fact, many people do not even believe that they have suffered a concussion. Especially if they have not actually received a direct blow to their head. This is a myth that many people believe. That their head must be hit in order to be concussed.

In fact, what a concussion is, is where the brain hits the inside of the skull, after the head, which is travelling in one direction at one speed. Suddenly stops, or switches direction.

Therefore, even a very hard hit to the body, can cause the brain to hit into the side of the school. Even if the head was not directly hit.

Because of this misconception, many concussions can go un-diagnosed. Particularly when some unusual symptoms show up a week and a half later.

Since symptoms can persist for well over a year. I doctor Edmonton says anyone who is experiencing visual symptoms need to get in for an evaluation by an optometrist right away.

They should find an optometrist that has training in neural rehabilitation. So that they can get the proper evaluation done for their issues. This optometrist is going to check the patient’s visual system, such as eye tracking, I focus, motion sensitivity and balance.

If people are found to have damaged their visual system. The optometrist is going to be able to prescribe lenses that can help eliminate their symptoms immediately. While working on healing their visual system. To eliminate the symptoms for good.

They will do this through an optometric rehabilitation therapy program. That will have a patient doing various visual activities in order to heal their visual system.

Eye Doctor Edmonton | Concussions Can Affect Vision

Many people know that concussions are very serious says eye doctor Edmonton. However, there are a lot of myths surrounding concussions. That can lead to many people not realizing that they have suffered from this brain injury.

Many people believe that even if they have been hit in the head, that they are going to experience symptoms right away. Or that the concussion will show up on a brain scan.

This is not true. Not only can symptoms show up a week and a half after the injury. But the injury might not show up on brain imaging for the same length of time.

Therefore, this can lead to people having a perfect brain scan. While still having a concussion.

Another myth that a lot of people have about concussions. Is that they have to have lost consciousness in order for it to be a concussion.

This is again not true, and while losing consciousness does increase the severity of the injury. Most people who have concussions do not lose consciousness. And the injuries that do have people losing consciousness only represent 10% of the overall injuries.

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Another misconception that people have according to eye doctor Edmonton. Is that sports concussions are worse than regular concussions. And this is not true. Because all brain injuries are brain injuries. Regardless of how the brain came to slam into the wall of the skull. The injury to the brain is the same.

After a concussion, it is very important that people not only rests in the first twenty-four hours. The kind of rest is not necessarily laying in bed. They need to get cognitive rest. And avoid activities that can cause their brain a lot of stress. Such as reading, using a cell phone, or watching television.

Since a lot of the symptoms of a concussion can manifest visually. It is extremely important that people avoid these activities. In order to not inadvertently make their symptoms worse.

If people do start experiencing visual symptoms after a concussion. Such as eyestrain, double vision and headaches. They should contact eye doctor Edmonton immediately in order to get a proper evaluation done.

They will be able to help treat a patient’s symptoms immediately. By prescribing lenses that have either tents or prisms in them that can minimize symptoms such as balance, or visual processing.

While these lenses are not going to permanently help the symptoms. They will wear them in conjunction with going through narrow optometric rehabilitation therapy. Which will help heal their visual system. To heal  the damage caused by the concussion.

Once the patient has successfully healed through the program. They will no longer require the lenses that help them deal with the symptoms. Allowing them to get back to regular life, without suffering the effects of a damaged visual system.

However, even though the patient will have healed. Patients need to understand that they are still at risk for a second concussion. And they need to continue to be careful about the activities that they engage in. To avoid causing another concussion that can harm them.