According to the Brain Injury Association of America, there are 2.8 million traumatic brain injury-related emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and deaths in the US each year. Individuals who have suffered from cerebral vascular accidents or strokes, concussions, traumatic brain injury, or various neurological entities often face vision problems such as difficulties with visual spatial conditions. These issues can affect their ability to navigate properly around obstacles and get around in busy environments. They may also have trouble with eye coordination, double vision, focusing, and eye movement. All of these conditions can fall under the umbrella of what we term post-trauma vision syndrome (PTVS). In this article, we will discuss PTVS, its symptoms, and the role of neuro-optometry in treating this condition.

Symptoms of Post Trauma Vision Syndrome

PTVS, a neurological disorder, can cause several symptoms that may lead to vision impairment and affect a person's quality of life. These include:

• Visual spatial conditions: difficulty navigating around obstacles, bumping into things, or getting lost in a busy environment.
• Eye coordination problems: difficulty with focusing, double vision, and movement of the eyes.
• Accommodative dysfunction: problems changing focus or maintaining focus when reading and concentrating.
• Ocular motor deficiency: difficulty moving accurately and comfortably when doing near point tasks.
• Vestibular issues: dizziness and difficulty with moving the head when navigating space.

Treatment Options for Post Trauma Vision Syndrome: Neuro-Optometry and Rehabilitation

The treatment for PTVS can take many forms. The first line of treatment is typically prescribing glasses that have customized prism lenses or binasal occlusion or special filters. All of these are tools in the neuro optometry war chest. After prescribing glasses, patients often feel better and can get through their day much easier. There's also neuro optometric rehabilitation, which is a therapy program set up for patients who have post trauma vision syndrome. This type of therapy help retrain the patient's visual system and brain to communicate more effectively, improving visual function and overall quality of life. It is important to seek help from our experienced neuro-optometrist, Dr. Garbus who specializes in neuro optometry if you suspect that you or a loved one has PTVS. Dr. Garbus has the expertise and knowledge necessary to diagnose and treat this condition effectively.