Identifying & Treating Post Concussive Syndrome

A complex disorder that can cause frequent headaches and dizziness, post-concussive syndrome can often last for weeks, months, and even years. Post-concussive syndrome occurs after a person has suffered a concussion, which is a type of traumatic brain injury. This injury can be caused by a direct blow to the head or a whiplash-type of injury.

Severity Does Not Determine Risk Level

You can develop post-concussion syndrome even if your initial injury was not severe. In fact, a person can develop post-concussion syndrome without loss of consciousness. You are at risk for developing symptoms such as disorientation, headaches and dizziness even if you had a very mild concussion.

Symptoms of post-concussive syndrome can linger from seven to 10 days from the day of injury to a whole year. In fact, as many as 30% of patients with post-concussive symptoms have experienced symptoms for three months or longer.

Binocular Vision Dysfunction

A majority of such patients with lingering symptoms of post-concussive syndrome develop some form of binocular vision dysfunction. This eye condition can be treated using realigning visual orthotic devices. At the Neuro Visual Center of New York, we provide our patients with a thorough and highly specialized neurovisual eye examination. We carefully test for binocular vision dysfunction for patients suffering from post-concussive syndrome.

Symptoms of Post Concussive Syndrome

Common symptoms of post-concussion syndrome include:

Headaches
Dizziness
Fatigue
Irritability
Anxiety
Insomia
Loss of concentration and memory
Noise and light sensitivity

In addition, some patients also develop neck injury at the time of the head injury, which further compounds the pain of tension-type headaches. Some patients also develop emotional and behavioral changes after a concussion, ranging from irritability to being more argumentative or suspicious.

When to Seek Professional Help

If you or someone you care about is suffering from symptoms after experiencing a concussion, it is very important that you seek out professional help from a doctor. Head injuries can be severe enough to cause mental confusion and lead to amnesia even if the patient did not lose consciousness. If you experienced a concussion during a game, do not return to playing the game. Instead, seek out immediate professional medical help.

Get in Touch with the Neuro Visual Center of New York

Many people suffering from the aftereffects of a concussion do not get the proper treatment they need, especially in terms of visual symptoms that affect their eyesight and balance. At the Neuro Visual Center of New York, Dr. Cheryl Berger Israeloff specializes in the optometric treatment of headaches and dizziness often caused by concussion. Our team can help you properly identify and treat any symptoms of post-concussive syndrome.

Give us a call at (516) 224-4888 to set up your appointment if you or someone you know has had a concussion and is suffering from eye strain, headaches and/or dizziness. We provide all of our patients with professional, high-quality care in a state-of-the-art facility.

Testimonials

Prior to being treated by Dr. Cheryl, I constantly felt off balance. I had suffered from frequent migraines since I was 12 years old. I often suffered from neck/ back pain, and always felt like I was straining my neck and/or tilting my head to focus on the computer. My family had always noticed that I walked a bit sideways as well, but they attributed that to me being "clumsy". I had awful anxiety about walking down flights of stairs or through the mall, as I always had this irrational fear of falling. I was diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder and depression, as I would tend to avoid social situations where I felt uncomfortable or not in control. At my annual eye exam, Dr. Cheryl asked how my migraines had been. I casually mentioned that I was having dizzy spells and felt off balance. As Dr. Cheryl went through a series of questions, it seemed like she was reading off a script of my symptoms. She started to explain binocular vision dysfunction and asked if I would consider a neuro visual test that may be able to determine if I was a candidate for the type of treatment she was involved in. I was skeptical, but desperate. The tests administered by Dr. Cheryl produced black and white, concrete results. I was blown away by how clear it was that this "visual vertigo" I was experiencing was not only completely legitimate, but treatable. My skepticism disappeared immediately when Dr. Cheryl had me wear a trial pair of glasses with prisms in them. I felt taller, grounded, and completely in control. My glasses have made a tremendous difference in my everyday life. I feel balanced and aware of my surroundings. I no longer catch myself tilting my head while reading through pages of documents on my computer, or tilting my head to get a better view of the TV. It is more than a change in my prescription or a "clearer view," it is an entire perspective change. I have not had a single migraine in 6 months - I am still in shock when I say those words. My dizzy spells have subsided, as well. When I am not wearing my glasses, which is rare, I can immediately feel the difference in my equilibrium. I would never have guessed that all of these symptoms and subsequent issues, were vision related. Dr. Cheryl was 100% supportive and genuinely concerned about my comfort and progress throughout this whole journey. I would, without hesitation, recommend her to anyone that suffers from these symptoms. She is a true life saver and is passionate about investing her time and energy into this growing field.

A. S.