Causes of BVD
BVD can be caused as a result of several different factors. Some people experience BVD due to facial asymmetry, where one eye is physically higher than the other. It can also be caused by a nerve or eye muscle abnormality, which is something many people are born with. As people with these abnormalities get older, the eye muscles become even more strained from trying to constantly realign the image they are sending to the brain, which results in the uncomfortable symptoms of BVD.
BVD can also develop as a result of a stroke, brain injury, or similar neurological disorder. It can manifest at any time, with symptoms usually developing around 40-years of age.
Symptoms of BVD
The symptoms of BVD can interfere with a patient’s ability to function, including basic tasks such as driving a car or reading. Essentially, BVD can severely negatively impact their quality of life. Patients with BVD experience the following symptoms.
- Headaches
- Neck ache/head tilt
- Double vision
- Sensitivity to light/glare
- Reading difficulties
- Anxiety
- Motion sickness
- Dizziness
- Balance problems
- Fatigue with reading
- Shadowed/overlapping/blurred vision
- Feeling overwhelmed in crowds/large spaces
- Skipping lines/losing your place while reading
- Closing/covering an eye to make it easier to see
“The dizziness and anxiety began eight years ago and became progressively worse as time went by. The doctors wanted to revoke my driver’s license, but I need to drive for my work. My new micro-prism lenses made an immediate difference. I can now drive with confidence. The quality of my life is back to where it should be.” -Keith
BVD is also frequently misdiagnosed as one or more of the following conditions:
- ADD/ADHD
- Agoraphobia
- Anxiety/Panic disorders
- Persistent Post-Concussive symptoms
- Cervical misalignment
- Meniere’s Disease
- BPPV (Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo)
- Psychogenic dizziness/Chronic Subjective Dizziness
- PPPD (Persistent Postural-Perceptual Dizziness)
- Vestibular Migraine/Migraine Associated Vertigo (MAV)
- Migraines
- MS (Multiple Sclerosis)
- Reading & learning disabilities
- Sinus problems
- Stroke
- TMJ disorders
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Treatment for BVD
Dr. Flaherty has trained in the pioneering work of diagnosing and treating Binocular Vision Dysfunction. In addition to the standard eye examination, our compassionate doctor utilizes a comprehensive NeuroVisual Examination to determine the extent of a patient’s misalignment and use those results to prescribe specialized aligning lenses. These micro-prism lenses realign the images to create one clear image, eliminating the need for the body’s struggle to do so.
Our micro-prism lenses help patients to feel noticeably better immediately. In fact, the average patient will notice a 50% reduction in symptoms by the end of their first visit. Over the next several visits, the aligning lenses are fine-tuned and continue to improve and eliminate BVD symptoms.
In the past, BVD was difficult to identify, as the standard vision tests are not sensitive enough to find the small amounts of misalignment causing BVD. And of course, not everyone with the aforementioned symptoms will have BVD. We use a specialized screening method to accurately detect this condition.
We are able to treat your Binocular Vision Dysfunction, along with any additional vision impairments, allowing the patient to see clearly, effectively, and provide significant relief from symptoms.
Our screening method involves two parts: Our Screening Questionnaire, which helps clarify who might benefit from the evaluation and care, and our Diagnostic Method, which is where we identify the very small amounts of misalignment requiring treatment with specialized micro-prism lenses.
The Screening Questionnaires include: