How a Concussion Affects Your Child’s Vision

You want your child to be safe, but accidents happen. Children are active, and bumps and bruises are common. Some injuries are more frightening than others. It’s helpful to be prepared if your child experiences a concussion, which is classified as a brain injury. 

Dr. Charles Niesen and our team at AMS Neurology in Pasadena, California, provide compassionate treatment for children with a concussion. With prompt and proper treatment, your child can fully recover. 

Vision changes are classic signs of a concussion. If your child experiences changes in their vision and has experienced a head injury, it’s important to seek medical attention right away. 

The effects of a concussion on vision

A concussion affects the ability of your child’s brain to process visual information. Following are ways a concussion can affect your child’s vision. 

Blurry vision 

If you have a young child, they may not be able to articulate that their vision is blurred. Instead, they may miss an easy catch when you throw a ball, become clumsy, or lose their interest in looking at books. 

Double vision 

If your child has double vision, the signals from their eyes to their brain aren’t working properly. If they see two images of an object and they’ve had an accident in which their head was hurt, they probably have a concussion. 

Inability to focus on objects close up 

Your eyes normally have an amazing ability to change focus from looking at a road sign in the distance to looking at directions on your phone. Your child may have accommodative or convergence insufficiency after a concussion, meaning this ability is compromised. 

Tasks requiring close-up vision, such as reading, become difficult and may produce headaches and fatigue. Your child may skip words or lose track of what line they’re on when trying to read. 

Sensitivity to bright light

Your child’s pupils may become dilated, letting in too much light after a concussion. Normal lights might be too bright. They may squint, put their hands around their eyes, and avoid lighted environments. 

Headaches and eye strain

Reading and working on a computer can cause eye strain, resulting in headaches. Teens might feel pressure to keep up with school assignments but may not be able to do so. More severe concussions can require a period of rest before your teen can complete their assignments. 

Treating vision symptoms of a concussion

Dr. Niesen and our team provide guidance to you and your child on recovery from visual symptoms of a concussion. Your child may need a break from their computer and other screens. 

We provide a doctor’s note with the accommodations your child needs for school. These accommodations vary depending on the severity of the concussion and your child’s symptoms. Regaining their ability to complete their school assignments may be a gradual process. 

Audiobooks are an alternative if your child is assigned to read a book. We may recommend temporary reading glasses. When your child is able to use a computer, enlarging the font and double spacing text is helpful.

Call our office at AMS Neurology or book an appointment online today if your child shows symptoms of a concussion. Early treatment helps your child recover faster.