Why Some Accident Victims Develop Sensitivity to Light and Sound

ACCIDENT - If you've suffered an accident recently, you may have noticed that your perception of things has changed. You may now be extremely sensitive to lights and sounds. Things may seem louder or brighter than they were before you got hurt. You may suffer from ocular pain or headaches far more often than before. Normal sounds may suddenly become very painful to hear. If you've become this way after an accident, you may be surprised to hear how it happened.

Is This Common for Accident Survivors?

This is a fairly common and normal occurrence for people who've had concussions or traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) resulting from an accident. In the weeks following an injury, between 40-45% of concussion or TBI victims suffer from hyperacusis and photophobia, which are sound and light sensitivity, respectively. Some people only have one, but most people have both at the same time.

Nearly half of all people with concussions in their medical history have long-term hyperacusis, and 28% of mild TBI patients still report symptoms of both sensitivities 12 months after their injury. Without treatment, these issues can last up to 10 years, and some people experience them for life. With proper treatment, lots of people see improvement.

What Causes Sensitivity?

Hyperacusis has many accident-related causes. Concussions and TBIs can cause damage to the hair cells in your ear. These microscopic cells, of which there are thousands, convert different sound vibrations into electrical signals for your brain to read, which is how you can hear things. In many cases, head injuries can damage or even kill hair cells. Damaged cells send distorted signals to your brain, which make noises seem louder or more irritating than they actually are.

The parts of your brain responsible for sight and sound may have also been damaged. In the case of sound, the auditory cortex in your temporal lobe can go into overdrive, which makes sounds seem unusually loud. As for sight, the superior colliculus, which is in your brainstem's uppermost region, can go haywire. This can lead to loss of eye muscle control and a chronic sense of disorientation.

Many TBIs and concussions lead to damaged vestibular systems. As these systems are partially responsible for your sight, damage often results in enhanced signals, making everything seem brighter than usual.

Neurovascular coupling issues can also cause sensitivity. In short, neurovascular coupling is how certain parts of your brain get the oxygen and blood they need to keep going. Some TBIs disrupt this coupling by damaging arteries, leading to malfunctions in auditory and visual processing centers. These, in turn, lead to both visual and auditory hallucinations and distortions.

Your autonomic nervous system may have also sustained damage in the accident. Alongside other disruptions, such as changes in your heart rate and respiration, ANS damage can also cause your pupils to dilate at random intervals. Random pupil dilations lead to photophobia.

The biggest cause of both hyperacusis and photophobia after an accident, however, is damage to the thalamus. The thalamus is in the center of your brain, and it's responsible for relaying all of your senses and motor functions, as well as your sleep cycle, your alertness and your consciousness. While trauma-induced inflammation of the thalamus won't necessarily mean that you'll experience disruption in all of these things, it does often lead to sensory overload and lack of concentration.

Treatment and Rehabilitation Options

Even as you're undergoing these treatments, you should seek the advice of an experienced personal injury lawyer like those at Laffey Bucci D’Andrea Reich & Ryan if you got your trauma from an accident where someone else may be at fault.

At first thought, resting in a dark, quiet room seems like a good way to get better. In reality, it makes your issues worse over time. Spending too long in such an environment retrains your brain to make that your default setting, so your sensitivity increases.

Sound desensitization therapy is a proven method to improve your condition. Your therapist will start you off with white noise and neutral sounds. As your brain gets used to it, they'll increase the duration and decibel level. You'll receive at-home methods to keep you going, too.

Vestibular therapy helps both sight and sound. This type of therapy involves improving your vestibular system, so you'll receive gaze stabilization exercises, balance exercises and controlled exposure to sensory stimulation. All of this will help you see better and hear better.

While you're doing all of this, try to limit your exposure to excessive noise and light. Your therapist may suggest blue light filters and tinted glasses that let you do day-to-day jobs, and you can do your part by staying in controlled lighting environments and reducing the brightness on your screens. Filtered earplugs and noise-canceling headphones can also provide relief, but these shouldn't be overused.

Cognitive behavioral therapy is also an essential part of sensory recovery. Many TBI and concussion survivors, after experiencing hyperacusis and photophobia, become scared of loud and bright things, which leads to fear avoidance. CBT can help you manage your anxiety, reduce your hypervigilance and slowly restore your ability to handle challenging situations.

Neuro-optometric therapy is also a good option for handling photophobia. Your therapist will use special prisms, filters and computer-based tasks to get you on track.

Remember, all of these are gradual processes that can take months or even years to get you back to anything resembling normal. If you stick to it, however, you'll be glad you did.

###