A concussion takes place when a person is hit on the head and falls unconscious for a time. This injury may change the way your brain is able to function, which is why it is considered a traumatic injury. Concussion management refers to the aftereffects that may be caused by this brief unconsciousness. The medical or eye doctor in Falls Church, VA, may help someone who has suffered from a concussion to manage the potential symptoms they suffer from after being knocked unconscious. In order to understand this management that is done by an optometrist, you need to understand the visual effects a concussion may have and the tests that can be done.
Visual Effects
There are a lot of aftereffects associated with this type of brain injury, which isn’t surprising. The brain plays an important role in your ability to process what you see. You may suffer from:
- Blurry vision
- Difficulty seeing things nearby
- Double vision
- Perceptual deficits that affect your cognitive abilities
- Reduced eye movement
- Sensitivity to light
- Visual processing that is slower than normal
These visual effects may improve on their own overtime, but many will require a doctor’s intervention.
Tests
Your Falls Church optometrist may be able to help you better understand the visual effects your concussion has had. He or she will have to perform various tests to evaluate your visual system. First, your doctor will want to understand your vision. This may require tests such as, visual acuity, visual field and fusion. The doctor will then try to determine how your eyes are able to function after the concussion. These tests may look at how your eyes work together, focus and move.
Results
Once the tests have been performed, your optometrist will have a better idea of how to start your concussion management in Falls Church. Vision therapy and expertise in optometry may help reduce the visual problems you have after a concussion. Talk with your eye doctor to learn more about this special treatment.
Meta Description: If you have suffered from a concussion, you may be able to reduce the long term visual effects by working with an eye doctor.