More Attention to the Eyes of Injured Combat Veterans Needed
A major veterans’ group says more attention should be paid to the eyes of injured combat veterans evacuated from Iraq and Afghanistan because of a possible link between undiagnosed cases of head injury and eye problems.
The Blinded Veterans Association said traumatic brain injuries, now considered the signature injury of current combat operations because of the effect of blasts from roadside bombs, can lead to visual disorders and what they are calling Post-Traumatic Vision Syndrome.
Failure to properly diagnosis and treat the injuries “may impair these veterans’ ability to perform basic activities of daily life, resulting in increased unemployment, failure in future educational programs, adding more dependence on government assistant programs and resulting in depression and other psycho-social complications if early detection and treatment are not initiated, says, Thomas Zameri, government relations director for the veterans’ group.
Military medical officials already know about the possible problem, Zameri said, noting that 16 percent of all casualties evacuated from Iraq between March 2003 and April 2005 suffered from direct eye injuries.
The group is concerned about brain injuries that are not immediately detected. One of the first signs could be the loss of peripheral vision, he said, urging more money for treatment and rehabilitation programs for visually impaired veterans.
Filed under Eye Treatment
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