When someone suffers a traumatic brain injury (TBI) in a car accident, no matter how mild, it’s important to remember that the impact can extend beyond the brain itself.
Because of the violence of a crash, there’s a significant potential for serious eye injuries. Here are three of the most common:
1. Retinal detachment
The retina is a thin layer of tissue lining the back of your eye, and it can be pulled away from its normal position due to the rapid deceleration of a vehicle in a wreck and the sudden movement of your head. That disrupts the blood supply to part of the eye and can lead to vision loss. Symptoms of retinal detachment can include sudden flashes of light, new “floaters” in your vision or even a curtain-like shadow in your field of vision.
2. Optic nerve damage
The optic nerve is the part of your eye that sends visual information from your retina to your brain, and injuries to this nerve can happen either due to direct trauma in the wreck or as the result of secondary trauma from skull fractures and intracranial pressure. Damage to the optic nerve can lead to partial or complete vision loss. Symptoms include blurred vision, abrupt blindness in the affected eye or other visual field defects.
3. Vitreous hemorrhage
The vitreous is the gel-like substance that fills the center of your eye and maintains its shape. Physical trauma can cause blood to lead into the vitreous or change the intraocular pressure, leading to blurred vision, a rapid increase in floaters in your vision and overall vision loss.
If you have a concussion after a car wreck, it’s smart to be conscious of the potential for eye injuries, some of which may not be immediately obvious. If you develop vision problems shortly after a wreck, treat it like an emergency – your vision may depend upon it.