Concussions

Traumatic Brain Injury

• A traumatic brain injury that alters the way your brain functions that can occur with a blow to the head or when the head and upper body are violently shaken.
• EVERY concussion injures your brain to some extent.
  • Most concussions do not cause loss of consciousness yielding to some people having concussions and not knowing it.
• Concussions tend to range from mild to severe.
  • Mild — may have a brief change in mental status or consciousness that may disrupt function.
  • Moderate — will have longer-lasting confusion and amnesia but with no loss of consciousness.
  • Severe — an extended period of unconsciousness or amnesia occurs.
• All concussive injuries, whether mild or severe, need time and rest to heal properly or the risk of chronic symptoms dramatically increases.

Post-Concussion Syndrome (PCS)

• PCS consists of a complex constellation of symptoms that persist for an extended period of time after the initial concussion.
• It affects up to 5% to 20% of those individuals that suffered a concussive event.
• The chance of developing PCS increases with each subsequent concussion without full recovery in between each injury.
• PCS symptoms include:
  • Headache
  • Dizziness, Nausea, Vomiting
  • Fatigue
  • Insomnia
  • Difficulty concentrating and performing mental tasks
  • Reduced tolerance to stress, emotional excitement, irritability, personality change
  • Staring behavior, low blink rate, eye turn
  • Blurred vision, double vision
  • Loss of peripheral or focal vision
  • Sensitivity to light/noise
  • Feeling sluggish, hazy, groggy
  • Impaired memory
  • Words jumping on the page when reading
  • Clumsy, poor depth perception
  • Disoriented, poor balance

How can we help for an Acquired Brain Injury?

• Acquired Brain Injury is the leading cause of disability in children and young adults. One million children sustain a head injury every year. Yet, only 1 out of 20 individuals with brain injury receive appropriate rehabilitation.
• Acquired Brain Injuries include:
  • Traumatic Brain Injury
  • Mild Acquired Brain Injury
  • Mild Closed Head Trauma
  • Post-Concussive Syndrome
  • Cervical Trauma Syndrome
  • Post Traumatic Vision Syndrome
  • Stroke
  • Cerebral Palsy
  • Cerebral Vascular Accident
• Though the visual system is not the only system that can be impacted by brain injury, it can be a significant factor in manifested symptoms associated with Post-Concussion Syndrome.
• If Post-Concussion Syndrome is diagnosed, vision training is an important part of the rehabilitative process to help reduce symptoms and improve the quality of life of these individuals.
• A Neuro-Visual Examination by an optometrist is important following a suspected or diagnosed concussion.

If you or your child have suffered from an acquired brain injury and would like to have an examination, please contact the Visual System Center and our staff would be happy to assist you.

Contact Any One of Our Four Convenient Locations

Cottage Grove Eyecare Clinic
7430 80th St S, Suite 103
Cottage Grove, MN 55016-3035
Phone: 651.459.9000
Fax: 651.459.3113
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