Brain Injury – Double Vision

In the city of San Luis Obispo, a brain injury may lead to several symptoms, including double vision. Double vision is, in fact, a frequent complaint among those who have experienced a head trauma or brain injury. Double vision occurs when both eyes do not align to the same point. In other words, even though both eyes are seeing the same object, they are not focused on the same area of that object.

In some patients, the deviation in the eyes is clearly seen. The eyes may be deviating in or out, called esotropia or exotropia, or up and down, called hypertropia. In other patients, there is nothing visible in the eyes because the deviation is so slight. Double vision can create:

  • Difficulties with balance
  • Difficulties walking
  • Difficulties reading
  • Difficulties performing normal functions of day-to-day life

It’s important that patients experiencing double vision seek medical help as soon as possible. Patient who ignore the problem or try to deal with it on their own often find that double vision worsens over time. By seeking treatment right away, victims of head trauma may recover fully and more quickly than victims who are slow to seek treatment.

Treatments of double vision after a brain injury include a combination of therapies. The way that double vision is treated will depend on the unique symptoms of the patient but may include the wearing of an eye patch or vision rehabilitation therapy. These treatments may be compensated by the person or persons who caused the accident that resulted in the trauma.