Even though some falls are more embarrassing than painful, slip-and-fall accidents send an alarming number of Americans to the emergency room every year. In fact, according to a recent study, more than 800,000 individuals require medical care for fall-related injuries annually.
If you hit your head during a fall, you should pay close attention to your visual acuity. After all, a head injury can lead to temporary or even permanent vision loss.
Traumatic brain injuries and vision loss
Your ability to see comes from your eyes and your brain. While your eyes capture light and transmit signals to your brain, your brain is responsible for converting nerve signals into discernable images. The part of your brain that does this, the occipital lobe, resides at the back of your skull. This makes it vulnerable to damage during a slip-and-fall accident.
The need for medical care
All TBIs are medical emergencies that require prompt care. If you experience vision problems after a slip-and-fall accident, you must go to the hospital immediately. This is true even if your vision returns to normal shortly after your fall.
When you arrive at the hospital, you should explain to doctors how you suffered your injury. Emergency room physicians may perform a variety of tests to diagnose your TBI. They also might check your eyesight.
Receiving immediate treatment is one of the most effective ways to avoid the long-term consequences of a TBI. Ultimately, even though it is likely to be expensive to seek treatment for a brain injury after a slip-and-fall accident, it is impossible to put a price tag on your ability to see clearly.