When you think about vision impairment after an auto accident, you might imagine that it would be caused by physical damage to the eyes or nerves delivering information to them. What you may not be aware of is that you could lose your vision even if you never hit the front of your head or your face during a collision.
The occipital lobe controls most visual functions, so if your vision is fuzzy or you can’t see after a crash, the injury to the back of your head may be to blame.
What does the occipital lobe do?
The occipital lobe is responsible for processing data sent to the brain through the eyes. So, even if your eyes are not injured and the nerves are in good working order, the brain itself may not be able to process what you’re looking at.
This can be frustrating for people who have functioning eyes, because the brain damage is actually the reason that their vision is impaired or reason that they’re now blind.
The occipital lobe isn’t the only part of the brain controlling vision
Other parts of the brain play a role in your vision, too. For example, the parietal lobe affects depth perception and the temporal lobe controls memory. If your memory is impaired, you may not understand what you’re looking at. Even the frontal lobe may play a role in vision. It’s believed that it helps you mentally focus on an object that is in your field of vision.
Brain injuries could be the cause of difficulty with vision
If you’re having trouble with your vision following a car crash, don’t jump to the conclusion that your eyes have been damaged. While retinal detachments and physical injuries to the eyes could be to blame, it’s also possible that a brain injury is impacting your vision.
To help you get the best chance of regaining your sight, it’s important to seek medical care as soon as you can. The right treatment for a brain injury may help it recover, so you can regain your sight or improve it as you heal.