Clinic is Closed on February 12, 2019 due to Snow

Sorry for the inconvenience, the we will be closed today, February 12, 2019 due to the snowy conditions.

Optometric Management of a Post-Concussion Patient: A Case Report

A case report on the optometric vision therapy treatment of the visual symptoms of a concussion patient was published in the December 2016 issue of the journal, Vision Development & Rehabilitation. We treat many concussion patients in our vision therapy and rehabilitation practice in Vancouver and the results of this case report are consistent with the results that we see in our clinic.

Concussions are a mild injury to the brain which have been known to cause visual problems such as blur, double vision, reading problems, sensitivity to light, visual memory problems and other visual deficits like reductions in contrast perception. It is estimated that 15% of concussion patients experience a visual problem as a result of their concussion.

The patient that was the subject of the case report suffered several sports-related concussions that caused a variety of problems with the patient's visual system. The patient was diagnosed with with low myopic astigmatism, convergence insufficiency, fusional instability, oculomotor dysfunction, and photosensitivity. Treatment included tinted spectacle correction for full-time wear and conventional oculomotor-based vision therapy. 

When vision therapy concluded, the patient was free of symptoms. And this effect was still present at a three-year follow-up appointment. The results demonstrate the efficacy of a comprehensive optometric approach in concussion treatment. The results also demonstrate the ability of the visual system to heal when the proper therapy is used for treatment. 

Concussion: Parents Speak Out about the Visual Link to Recovery

Will Smith’s new movie Concussion is likely to make parents think twice about having their children involved in contact sports like football and soccer. But what about kids who have already suffered a concussion and are struggling to get back to learning? Parents of these children are stepping forward to share their experiences with the hope of helping others.

“Research has shown that approximately 70% of young athletes who suffer a concussion have eye coordination, focusing, and eye movement problems1 . Yet most parents are left on their own choose a health care professional who can help their child correct these problems,” shares Dr. Kara Heying, OD, FCOVD, President of College of Optometrists in Vision Development.

Evyn of Tulsa, Oklahoma had struggled for two years after suffering a concussion at the age of 13, sustained while playing soccer. She saw twelve physicians and specialists, including her pediatrician, two ophthalmologists, a neuro-ophthalmologist, a neurologist, and a sports medicine doctor before an optometrist finally referred her to a developmental optometrist.

Read more.

Vision Problems May Be More Common In Children With An ASD

April is autism awareness month

Here is what you need to know about autism and vision in a nutshell.

Since autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) affect how we process and respond to sensory information, it’s important to evaluate exactly what visual sensory information is going in.

Recent studies have found that refractive errors, such as near-sightedness, far-sightedness, and/or astigmatism, may be more common in those with an ASD. The same goes for strabismus (often called cross-eye) and amblyopia (lazy eye). These problems can be treated, corrected, and sometimes even prevented. Especially if we can catch them early in life.

For more information on how optometrists like us can help treat vision disorders in people with ASD, click here: http://www.visiontherapy.ca/autism.html

Watch these videos for more information:

Alcohol and cataracts

A new study pubished in the journal Optometry & Vision Science found that heavy alcohol consumption significantly increased the risk of age-related cataract. There was some evidence, but not as strong, that moderate consumption may help prevent cataracts. 

Cataracts require surgery to treat. The surgery is fairly common and usually results in a good outcome. However it is not without risks and bad outcomes like double vision and other problems can occur. It is best to avoid contracts altogether. Avoiding heavy drinking appears to be one way to do that.

Source:

Optometry and Vision Science: Official Publication of the American Academy of Optometry
Different Amounts of Alcohol Consumption and Cataract: A Meta-Analysis
Optom Vis Sci 2015 Apr 01;92(4)471-479, Y Gong, K Feng, N Yan, Y Xu, CW Pan