A hockey match can be fun and invigorating, but it can also be dangerous. Hockey players suffer a high rate of concussions, like football players. A concussion is a mild brain injury that results from trauma, like a painful body-check or a puck to the head. The human brain is soft, squishy, and surrounded by fluid. It is protected by the hard bones of the skull, but when a hockey player’s head is hit by something (or hits something), the athlete’s brain may move until it impacts with the skull.
The resulting brain injury can cause symptoms including headaches, dizziness, and fatigue. Some of the effects of a concussion are immediate, and others may manifest themselves only days later.
A concussion can cause damage to the visual cortex, the part of the brain that processes the visual information obtained by our eyes. Such damage can certainly be sustained in the event of a concussion, and may result in symptoms affecting many aspects of vision, including blurriness, light sensitivity, slower visual processing, and double vision.
Concussions can be avoided to an extent by wearing a helmet during hockey and other sports. In addition, sports glasses (available at Vision Care Specialists) can prevent damage to eyes, which can cause severe vision issues, especially when combined with the effects of a concussion.
However, helmets and sports glasses cannot offer a blanket guarantee of protection against concussions, as evidenced by well-equipped athletes who still suffer from them. So when all such efforts fail, how can the visual effects of a concussion be treated?
Neuro-optometric rehabilitation is the answer for many patients who have suffered a concussion with long-lasting effects. A highly customized therapy program of visual exercises and specialized lenses can have a big impact in the day-to-day life of a brain trauma patient. Neuro-optometric rehabilitation is something that we are proud to offer patients from Southborough, Worcester County and Framingham. Call us at 508-481-8558 for more information, or to make an appointment.
