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Home » Your Eye Health » Binocular Vision Dysfunction (BVD)

Binocular Vision Dysfunction (BVD)

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What is BVD?

If you suffer from Headaches, Lightheadedness, Dizziness, Disorientation, Car Sick, Motion Sickness, or Anxiety, you could have BVD.

Binocular vision dysfunction (BVD): Sight level from one eye tends to be slightly out of alignment with the line of sight from the other eye (usually vertical) and this puts heavy strain on the eye muscles. They are constantly trying to correct the alignment to achieve single focus vision.  The cause can be secondary to normal facial asymmetry, acquired facial asymmetry from aging or head trauma from sports or injury damaging the nerves to your eye muscles causing the imbalance.

Sometimes difficult to diagnose, This heavy strain on the eye muscles results in dizziness, headaches, disorientation and reading difficulties. Some people suffer from only one symptom while others from multiple; which is why it can be so difficult to diagnose.

The three forms of BVD are:

  • Vertical Heterophoria,
  • Superior Oblique Palsy
  • Horizontal misalignment.

Symptoms

Eyes that are misaligned cause blurred or double vision. The brain does not tolerate blurred or double vision, so it forces the eyes to look at the exact same spot. Only one image is seen. This is accomplished by straining the eye muscles to make one eye look up a little more, and the other eye to look down a little more. Over a long period of time, the straining of the eye muscles causes the pain symptoms of Binocular Vision Dysfunction. As the muscles strain, they become fatigued and jittery, and can no longer keep the eyes in the correct alignment. This “bouncing” in and out of alignment creates the feeling of dizziness, lightheadedness, vertigo and a sense of imbalance.

What age person can be helped?

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If you are old enough to wear glasses and talk to a doctor, you could be a good candidate. A few months old through any age can possibly be treated.

Treatment Optionsafrican american woman glasses black

The Neuro Visual Specialist will add prism to your glasses, correcting the eye misalignment. The prism will bend light in such a way that the image seen by the eye is moved into the position it needs to be, in order to once again realign the eyes. Once this occurs, the muscles no longer have to strain, and the symptoms resolve.

 

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