You probably do not think much about either your eyes or your ability to see. However, if you lose your vision, you are apt to experience a variety of life complications. For example, you may not be able to work, enjoy athletic activities or participate in your favorite hobbies.
While there are many ways to sustain an injury in an automobile accident, your brain and eyes may be particularly vulnerable. Unfortunately, the symptoms of an eye or brain injury may not show up immediately after a collision. By understanding the potential vision-related injuries you may sustain, though, you can better advocate for your health.
Traumatic brain injuries
For you to see optimally, your brain and eyes must work together. If you bump your head, you may interrupt this essential link. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that car accidents are a leading cause of traumatic brain injuries. To know if you have one, watch for the following symptoms:
- Dizziness, nausea or disorientation
- Headaches
- Sleepiness or restlessness
- Blurred vision
- Ear ringing
Eye trauma
While an injury to the brain may cause vision problems, an injury to an eye may have the same effect. That is, both blunt-force and penetrative trauma may damage eye tissue. Eye trauma may result in permanent vision loss or long-term vision problems.
In car accidents, three types of injuries may occur:
- Optic nerve damage, where the nerve that connects the eye to the brain sustains some type of injury
- Vitreous hemorrhage, where the gelatinous substance inside the eye mixes with blood
- Retinal detachment, where the retina separates from surrounding tissue
Vision is all too easy to take for granted, but an injury that causes vision problems is certain to change your life. You must closely monitor your vision after a car accident. If you discover you cannot see normally, it is vital to seek medical care as soon as possible.