Concussion & Vision: Understanding Visual Symptoms After a Head Injury
If you've experienced a concussion and suddenly find yourself struggling to read, tolerate screens, focus your eyes, or deal with bright lights, you're not imagining it.
Vision problems are common following concussion and traumatic brain injury (TBI). Research has identified a range of visual and eye-movement problems after TBI, including accommodative dysfunction, convergence insufficiency, difficulty with eye movements, blurred vision, double vision, and light sensitivity.
Because the visual system plays such an important role in how we move through and interact with the world, visual dysfunction can affect much more than just your ability to see clearly. It may also contribute to difficulties with reading, balance, motion, headaches, and everyday activities.
Let's take a closer look at some of the visual symptoms and problems that can occur after concussion.
Common Visual Symptoms After Concussion
Visual symptoms can look different from person to person. Some of the most common include:
Blurred vision, either constant or intermittent
Double vision
Difficulty reading or sustaining reading
Light sensitivity, including sensitivity to indoor or outdoor light
Difficulty tolerating computer, phone, or television screens
Difficulty tracking or keeping your place while reading
Eye pain, fatigue, or strain
Difficulty shifting focus from near to far or far to near
Motion sensitivity, particularly in visually busy environments
Difficulty processing visual information
These symptoms can be frustrating because a person may have perfectly clear vision on a standard eye chart and still have significant difficulty using their visual system.
Vision is more than visual acuity. The brain and eyes have to work together to focus, coordinate eye movements, process visual information, and integrate what we're seeing with information from other systems in the body.
Visual Problems Can Affect More Than Vision
It's also important to recognize that visual dysfunction may contribute to symptoms that don't initially seem related to vision.
For example, visual problems can be associated with:
Dizziness
Headaches
Difficulty with balance
Motion sensitivity
Reading difficulty
Fatigue
Difficulty concentrating
Problems tolerating busy environments
This is one reason visual symptoms can sometimes be overlooked. A patient may come in complaining primarily of dizziness or headaches without realizing that their visual system could be contributing to those symptoms.
At the same time, dizziness after concussion is not automatically a vision problem. The vestibular system, cervical spine, autonomic nervous system, and visual system can all contribute to dizziness. A comprehensive concussion evaluation should consider the different systems that may be involved rather than assuming there is a single cause.
What Types of Visual Dysfunction Can Occur After Concussion?
Research has identified several types of visual dysfunction following TBI.
Accommodation: Focusing Problems
Accommodation is the ability of the eyes to adjust focus, particularly when looking at objects up close.
Problems with accommodation can make activities such as reading, working on a computer, or switching between near and far targets difficult.
A systematic review and meta-analysis found accommodative dysfunction in approximately 43% of people with TBI across the studies included.
Convergence Insufficiency: Eye Teaming Problems
Convergence is the ability of the eyes to work together when looking at something up close.
When convergence is impaired, activities such as reading may become uncomfortable or difficult. A person may experience eye strain, headaches, double vision, difficulty concentrating, or a tendency to lose their place while reading.
The same systematic review found convergence insufficiency in approximately 36% of people with TBI across the included studies.
Eye-Movement Problems
The eyes need to move accurately and efficiently to follow objects, scan a page, shift between targets, and maintain visual attention.
After concussion, some people experience difficulties with eye movements such as tracking or making rapid movements between targets. These problems can make reading and visually demanding activities particularly challenging.
Light Sensitivity
Photophobia, or sensitivity to light, is another commonly reported visual symptom following concussion. Bright indoor or outdoor light—and sometimes screens—may become uncomfortable or even provoke headaches or other symptoms.
Visual Processing Difficulties
The brain has to interpret and organize the visual information coming in through the eyes. Following a concussion, some people may have difficulty processing visually complex environments, particularly places with a lot of movement or visual stimulation.
This can contribute to symptoms in environments such as grocery stores, shopping centers, sporting events, or crowded hallways.
Why Is a Comprehensive Vision Evaluation Important?
Because visual problems after concussion can take several different forms, a comprehensive evaluation should look beyond whether someone can see clearly on a traditional eye chart.
Depending on the patient's symptoms and clinical history, an evaluation may assess areas such as:
Visual acuity
Eye alignment
Convergence
Accommodation
Eye movements
Visual fields
Binocular vision
Symptoms associated with reading and other near-work activities
Research in adolescents, for example, has found that accommodative, convergence, and saccadic eye-movement disorders can occur following concussion, with many patients experiencing more than one type of visual diagnosis.
This is why a patient who says, “I can see fine, but something feels wrong when I read or look at a screen” may still benefit from a more detailed evaluation.
How Are Vision Problems After Concussion Treated?
The appropriate treatment depends on what is actually contributing to the patient's symptoms.
For some patients, treatment may involve addressing an underlying eye or visual problem. Depending on the findings, this could include:
Corrective lenses
Management of dry eye or ocular surface symptoms
Strategies to improve screen tolerance
Appropriate use of filters or tints for light sensitivity
Targeted exercises for specific accommodative or binocular dysfunctions
Vision rehabilitation when clinically appropriate
Neuro-optometrists and other clinicians with specialized training in brain injury can play an important role in evaluating visual symptoms and determining whether vision rehabilitation is appropriate.
It's important to recognize, however, that not every person with post-concussion visual symptoms needs vision therapy, and the evidence supporting different forms of visual rehabilitation varies. A 2022 consensus statement found that some commonly promoted visual rehabilitation approaches have limited evidence and called for better-quality research.
That makes a thorough evaluation particularly important. Treatment should be based on the patient's specific findings rather than assuming that every visual symptom requires the same intervention.
Don't Ignore Persistent Visual Symptoms
Visual problems following concussion can be easy to dismiss—especially when they don't show up on a basic vision screening.
If you're experiencing blurred or double vision, difficulty reading, eye fatigue, light sensitivity, problems tolerating screens, or dizziness in visually busy environments after a concussion, it's worth discussing those symptoms with a provider who understands concussion and visual dysfunction.
At Colorado Concussion Clinic, a comprehensive concussion evaluation considers the different systems that may contribute to a patient's symptoms. Identifying those contributing factors can help guide an individualized treatment plan and get patients moving toward recovery.
References
Merezhinskaya N, Mallia RK, Park D, Bryden DW, Mathur K, Barker FM II. Visual Deficits and Dysfunctions Associated with Traumatic Brain Injury: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Optometry and Vision Science. 2019;96(8):542-555. doi:10.1097/OPX.0000000000001407.
Master CL, Scheiman M, Gallaway M, et al. Vision Diagnoses Are Common After Concussion in Adolescents. Clinical Pediatrics. 2016;55(3):260-267.
Subramanian PS, Barton JJS, Ranalli P, et al. Consensus Statement on Visual Rehabilitation in Mild Traumatic Brain Injury. Neurology: Clinical Practice. 2022;12(6):422-428. doi:10.1212/CPJ.0000000000200071.
Santo AL, Race ML, Teel EF. Near Point of Convergence Deficits and Treatment Following Concussion: A Systematic Review. Journal of Sport Rehabilitation. 2020;29(8):1179-1193. doi:10.1123/jsr.2019-0428.
Vision Rehabilitation After Traumatic Brain Injury. Literature review regarding visual dysfunction and vision rehabilitation following TBI.
Originally published March 16, 2021. Updated August 2026.
This article has been updated to reflect current concussion research and clinical guidance.
Medical Disclaimer: This article is provided for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a qualified healthcare professional. Concussion symptoms and recovery can vary from person to person. If you have experienced a head injury or are concerned about your symptoms, consult an appropriate healthcare professional for individualized evaluation and guidance.