If you’ve ever felt mentally drained after reading, scrolling on your phone, or finishing a workday on the computer, your eyes may be playing a bigger role than you think. For many people, untreated vision problems can contribute to ongoing brain fog and fatigue. At SIGHT Multispecialty Center, relief is possible with vision therapy in Farmington, specialty ophthalmic lenses, and personalized care tailored to your needs.
In this blog, we’ll explore how vision issues can affect your mental clarity, common conditions that may be to blame, and the treatments available.
What is brain fog?
First things first, what exactly is brain fog? Brain fog isn’t a medical condition itself; it’s a term people use to describe a feeling of mental cloudiness or sluggish thinking. You might notice that tasks take longer, focusing feels harder, or your memory isn’t as sharp as usual.
While brain fog can be linked to many causes, including lack of sleep, stress, or health conditions, vision problems are often overlooked as a contributor.
Symptoms of brain fog
Brain fog can feel different for everyone, but some of the most common symptoms include:
- Trouble concentrating or paying attention
- Mental fatigue or feeling “worn out” quickly
- Forgetfulness or difficulty recalling information
- Struggling to organize thoughts or tasks
- Feeling easily overwhelmed, especially in busy environments
Vision problems that may cause brain fog
Certain visual conditions force your brain to work harder than it should, leading to mental fatigue. Common culprits include:
- Uncorrected refractive errors (e.g., nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism)
- Digital eye strain from long hours on screens
- Binocular vision dysfunction (when the eyes don’t work together properly)
- Convergence insufficiency (a type of binocular vision dysfunction that makes near tasks like reading difficult)
A comprehensive eye exam is often the best place to start, allowing our experienced eye doctor to identify whether these hidden issues could be causing your symptoms.
When standard eyeglasses and contact lenses aren’t enough
For many people, a new prescription for eyeglasses or contact lenses brings relief. However, if you’re still experiencing headaches, fatigue, or brain fog, the issue may be more complex.
Binocular vision dysfunction and convergence insufficiency can’t always be resolved with standard corrective lenses. These conditions require more specialized care to retrain how the eyes and brain work together.
How vision therapy can help
Vision therapy is like physical therapy for your visual system. Using guided exercises and personalized activities, it strengthens the coordination between your eyes and brain. Just as with physical therapy for movement and balance, vision therapy targets the root cause of dysfunction to build long-term improvement.
This treatment eases symptoms like brain fog, dizziness, fatigue, and difficulty concentrating, allowing you to concentrate better.
Specialty eyeglass lenses for symptom relief
In addition to vision therapy, several innovative lens options can help address symptoms tied to vision problems:
Neurolens®
Neurolens glasses use a unique contoured prism to reduce the effects of binocular vision dysfunction, relieving eye strain, headaches, and dizziness.
Shaw lenses
Shaw lenses are custom-designed to minimize distortions and improve comfort. They are especially helpful for patients with unequal prescriptions between the two eyes.
Support your brain and vision health
Brain fog and fatigue can keep you from performing at your best and enjoying your daily life. By identifying and treating the vision problems behind these symptoms, you can regain clarity, focus, and comfort.
Whether you need updated eyeglasses, specialized lenses, or vision therapy, our team can help you uncover the root cause and find the right solution.
Schedule your appointment today and see how much clearer and more comfortable life can look.
