Each year more than a million traumatic brain injury (TBI) cases are reported in the United States. While the term TBI is most often associated with sports-related injuries (football players are especially prone to sustaining TBIs), most TBIs are caused during every day events. The leading cause of TBI is fall down accidents, followed by motor vehicle accidents.
Because TBIs are so prevalent, it is increasing important for medical professionals to explore and improve methods of diagnosing and treating TBI side effects. One of the most commonly associated side effects of TBI is visual dysfunction.
“Between 30% and 35% of Americans diagnosed with mild-to-moderate TBI have associated visual dysfunctions [8]. Severity of a brain injury has not been correlated with the severity of visual dysfunction. According to the information provided by the Department of Defense and Veteran Affairs (VA), over 70% of TBI patients at military medical facilities have reported visual complaints [6]. In addition, more than 74% of all TBI patients receiving medical treatment in some of the VA polytrauma care facilities have reported visual complaints.” – The Consequence of Spatial Visual Processing Dysfunction Caused by Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
If you are unfamiliar with visual dysfunction it may be hard to fully grasp the ripple effects caused when one’s visual abilities are compromised. The technical term for compromised visual processing is Post Trauma Vision Syndrome (PTVS). In addition issues with reading and painful headaches other common deficits include:
Visuo-spatial deficit– an inability to gauge where one is in relation to their physical environment and the spatial relationship between objects.
Convergence dysfunction/insufficiency– an inability to use both eyes together when looking at nearby objects.
Accommodative dysfunction- an inability to sustain prolonged near focus.
As you can imagine any of the deficits above could easily hinder your ability to work, drive, and enjoy a ‘normal’ life. If you or a loved one suffered a TBI and are experiencing PTVS you may be entitled to compensation. For more information about PTVS or Brain Injuries click here. Click here to contact us today.