Screen Struggles After Concussion: How I Learned to Work With a Healing Brain
After my concussion, I found it nearly impossible to read from a computer or my iPhone. Using media devices triggered headaches and left me feeling drained and exhausted. I later discovered poor screen time intolerance is a common issue after a traumatic brain injury. This was a major problem for me, as a significant part of my job involved working on computers and using my work-issued iPhone.
It’s easy to take for granted what it takes for our brains to focus on a media screen. Normally, we do not notice the ease with which our brains filter blue light and bright light and absorb information from our computer screen.
Our brains help us focus on small fonts, follow lines of text, and ignore distracting ads. They also process and store information so we can find it later. These skills are referred to as higher executive functions and are located in the frontal lobes of your brain.
Kotka, Finland. Eight years after my TBI
Higher executive functions require a lot of energy to operate, which a healing brain does not have.
These processes can be damaged after a concussion, stroke, infection (such as COVID-19), poisoning (such as carbon monoxide or lead poisoning), brain diseases (such as multiple sclerosis or Parkinson’s Disease), or hypoxia (due to cardiac arrest or near-drowning).
I couldn’t stop working on computers, so I needed to find ways to help my brain and slowly increase how much screen time I could handle.
While searching for ways to support my brain, I discovered that individuals with brain injuries may be more susceptible to the effects of blue light from screens and fluorescent lights. Blue light can exacerbate symptoms such as headaches and fatigue, and can also disrupt sleep.
Here are some tools and strategies I used to support my healing brain:
Use blue-light filter tools, such as glasses and screen covers. Some devices also have low blue light settings.
Check with your optometrist to see if they offer prescription glasses with blue light blocking.
Limit personal use of media devices at home to save your brain energy for working on devices at your job. This includes limiting TV screen time and scrolling on your personal phone.
Turn off personal devices if you develop headaches, dizziness, or are feeling tired.
Take frequent breaks while working. Breaks can be as brief as looking away from your computer screen to taking a rest during your lunch break. Set alarms to remind yourself to take these breaks.
Try not to read or study too much on your computer screen. Instead, print out what you need and read it on paper with easy-to-read text. Paper doesn’t give off light, and you can read it in a quieter, dimmer spot at work.
Keep your printed materials in a three-ring binder with color-coded tabs, so you can find things easily without having to search your computer again. I don’t suggest using a file cabinet, since it’s easy to forget about papers that are out of sight. Having binders on your desk is a good reminder that they’re there to help you.
Use a piece of paper to follow along the sentence you’re reading on your screen. This helps your eyes stay on track and saves your brain some effort. The paper’s edge can keep your eyes from jumping to the wrong line.
Use a piece of paper to block out pop-up advertisements or part of the screen to limit the glare of light into your eyes.
Utilize accessibility settings on your media devices: adjust the screen brightness, increase the font size, and enhance the contrast to make it easier for your eyes to read text on your devices.
Instead of reading, rest your eyes by using accessibility settings, such as Spoken Content. Have your device read the text to you.
In the early days after my concussion, blue light-blocking glasses controlled my brain injury symptoms and protected my limited brain energy. Slowly, over time, I stopped using them at home. Today, I no longer need my blue light-blocking glasses while working from home. Though I still utilize the accessibility settings on my devices.
As time passes and your brain heals, you will notice that you are able to work on a computer longer. When you’re able to finish a workday without having to come home and take a nap, this is usually a good indicator that you’re developing more brain energy. When your brain injury symptoms are well-controlled, this is a good sign that you can begin using your personal devices at home.
These small changes can help you save brain energy, work longer, and improve how your brain works on the job. I hope these tips help you and your healing brain.
Take care, get better, get stronger,
Kelly Tuttle
Brain-Loving Advocate
P.S. As a brain injury survivor, I understand the challenges of reintegration into the workforce. If you're also a survivor looking to return to work, please visit my website for my online program: Return to Work and Life After a Brain Injury.
You can also find my book and additional resources: After the Crash: How to Keep Your Job, Stay in School, and Live Life After a Brain Injury.
It's also availableon Audible.
You can find my book on Amazon and at independent bookstores.
I created a journal just for you! Check out My Brain Injury Recovery Journal
My eBook, Getting Back Behind the Wheel
Please check out my YouTube channel.
Additional references:
Jackowski MM, Sturr JF, Taub HA, Turk MA. Photophobia in patients with traumatic brain injury: Uses of light-filtering lenses to enhance contrast sensitivity and reading rate. NeuroRehabilitation. 1996;6(3):193-201. doi: 10.3233/NRE-1996-6305. PMID: 24525771.
Merezhinskaya N, Mallia RK, Park D, Millian-Morell L, Barker FM 2nd. Photophobia Associated with Traumatic Brain Injury: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Optom Vis Sci. 2021 Aug 1;98(8):891-900. doi: 10.1097/OPX.0000000000001757. PMID: 34354013.