Vision After an Acquired Brain Injury

According to research, 90% of traumatic brain injuries cause visual dysfunctions.

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Vision After an Acquired Brain Injury in Olympia

Find out if you need to see an optometrist by taking the Double Vision Quiz

What is acquired brain injury?

An acquired brain injury is essentially an event or condition that has affected one’s brain after birth. Meaning it’s not a condition that results from a birth trauma, nor is it genetic or degenerative. An acquired brain injury could be a traumatic brain injury, caused by an external force such as a motor vehicle accident, a bad fall or a sports injury. An acquired brain injury could also be a non-traumatic brain injury, often resulting from a disease, such as in the case of a stroke, lack of oxygen or a tumor, just to name a few.

What is a neuro-optometrist?

A neuro-optometrist is trained to work with people who have suffered from visual issues resulting from an acquired brain injury. A routine eye exam does not necessarily pick up on certain visual impairments caused by a brain injury, whereas an evaluation with a neuro-optometrist will diagnose the impact a brain injury has had on the person’s visual system, even if visual symptoms have not yet surfaced or been noticed by the patient.

Following the diagnosis, a neuro-optometric rehabilitation treatment plan will be customized for each patient’s needs. The goal of this treatment is to fix the underlying problems caused by the acquired brain injury, namely to retrain the neurological connections in the brain in order to properly communicate with both eyes which then allows for optimal visual function.

What are symptoms of vision related issues resulting from acquired brain injury?

Double vision
Blurry vision
Eye pain or discomfort
Glare sensitivity
Sensitivity to light
Visual field loss
Headaches
Difficulty maintaining focus or eye contact
Reading and comprehension challenges
Attention difficulties
Memory challenges
Poor balance

Symptoms will not always appear right after the acquired brain injury, however the visual impact can be diagnosed by a neuro-optometrist even before symptoms appear and therefore it’s recommended to schedule an appointment as soon as possible, following the brain injury.

What can be done to treat vision problems resulting from acquired brain injury?

Each person requiring treatment for vision problems resulting from acquired brain injury is a unique case and receives a customized treatment plan that is optimal for his or her visual challenges and demands. There are various methods of treatment which can be used on its own or combined to yield the best results:

Vision therapy
Neuro optometric rehabilitation therapy
Corrected lenses and/ or prisms
Phototherapy which is light therapy or syntonic optometry

Summary

All of the above approaches work on fixing the underlying problem which is a neurological disruption in the communication between both eyes and the brain due to an acquired brain injury. In extreme cases eye muscle surgery may be recommended, however it is important to note that this method does not treat the underlying issues.

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Testimonials

Such a nice optician. My grandson is only 4 and needs glasses. We were so sad, but he explained the issues, and we will follow up as he suggested.

Anna P.

I had such a good experience with the clinic. Very friendly staff and doctor, did not have to wait for long to be called, and was treated respectfully. Thanks, American Family.

June S.

Dr. Zurcher has gone above and beyond what any other eye doctor has ever done to figure out what is going on with my eyes. Very happy with American Family Vision.

Christine R.

Family Vision Clinic changed our lives! My daughter was frequently car sick, and she was getting headaches every day, often painful enough that they brought her to tears. We saw a string of doctors and therapists, but we made no progress. Finally, we found Dr. Levi Zurcher and his eye therapist Rain. After ten weeks of eye therapy my daughter no longer gets headaches, and she no longer gets car sick. Daily tears are a thing of the past. I really can’t say enough about this clinic. It was fascinating to watch Dr. Zurcher work. For the first time, someone who knew what they were doing was intently studying my daughter, really trying to figure out all of her eye issues, and his therapist Rain is one of the most patient and lovely people that I’ve ever had the good fortune to meet. We’re finished with eye therapy—yay!—and I have switched to American Family Vision Clinic for all of my family’s other eye health needs.

Lars Wulff

Very professional, yet kind and helpful. They do what they can to make the appointment comfortable. I was running a bit late, I made sure ti call. They were able to switch me with a patient who was already there, they treated me with respect, and helped my son have confidence by getting him the eye care he needed that day. Thank you so much! Would recommend to anyone. It's a blessing that they care enough to work with people who have all different types of insurance from work to state coverage.