An impact to the head or face or any type of head injury can affect a person’s vision. A leading cause of head injuries are car accidents. Trauma to the brain can occur during a car accident when a person’s skull hits an object like the windshield or the steering wheel. Loss of sight, blindness, or other vision problems can be due to trauma to the eye. Vision problems can also be caused by injury to the brain. After a brain injury, eye and vision problems are fairly common. Depending on the person and the type of injury, some vision-related issues can be permanent. Others may resolve themselves in a short amount of time. Serious injuries can include:
- Retinal detachment. This happens when the retina, a thin layer of tissue lining the inside of the back of the eye, separates from the surrounding tissue. This issue can potentially cause permanent blindness.
- Vitreous hemorrhage. Vitreous hemorrhage is blood in the vitreous. The vitreous is the clear, jellylike substance in the center of the eyeball. Head injuries can cause blood vessels in the eye to bleed into the vitreous.
- Optic nerve damage. Optic nerve damage is any kind of injury or damage to the optic nerve. Head injuries have the potential to cause increased pressure within the skull which, in turn, may put pressure on the optic nerve. This pressure can cut off blood circulation and lead to vision distortion, vision loss, and-or blindness.