COVID can affect Vision

Did you know that COVID can result in changes to vision similar to those who have had traumatic brain injuries?

Dr. Ho shares her case on how neuro-optometric rehabilitation successfully helped a patient with post-COVID-19 syndrome return to work and quality of life. This case was published Jan 2022 in Optometry & Visual Performance (COVID Edition).

 

ABSTRACT:

 

Background: COVID-19 is a respiratory disease that causes systemic thrombosis and
inflammation, which can result in both neurologic and ophthalmological sequelae. There are reports of both physical and functional manifestations of COVID-19 in the eye and the visual system. This case discusses neuro-optometric rehabilitation efforts for a patient who suffered functional visual problems as a result of acquired brain injury following a severe COVID-19 infection.

 

Case Summary: A 54-year-old Caucasian male presented to clinic with complaints of visual blur and monocular diplopia following his intubation and ventilation via extracorporeal membrane oxygenation intervention after contracting COVID.
Neuro-optometric rehabilitation intervention included office-based therapy, home activities,
syntonics, nutrition supplementation, and referrals to other rehabilitation team members. The patient continues to have residual functional visual deficits following his recovery from COVID-19, but he was able to return to driving and working within a few months of rehabilitation.

 

Conclusion: Following COVID-19 infections, patients may experience subtle neurological and
functional visual deficits despite a normal ocular health assessment. It is critical to have these
deficits properly evaluated in a timely manner and treated, when appropriate, to support a return to acceptable quality of life. This case demonstrates how neuro-rehabilitation optometrists can optimize patient outcomes despite residual functional visual deficits following a severe acquired brain injury from COVID-19.

 

Keywords: acquired brain injury, neuro-optometric rehabilitation, optometric vision therapy, post COVID-19 neurologic syndrome, syntonics

 

To read more stories of success from other patients with brain injuries, please click here.