Binocular vision dysfunction (BVD) is a condition that involves a misalignment in the line of sight from one eye to the other. Most commonly, this misalignment is vertical. As a result, a tremendous strain is put on your eye muscles. That’s because they are constantly attempting to achieve clear single-focus vision by correcting the alignment.
The symptoms of binocular vision dysfunction usually include headaches, dizziness, trouble with reading, and disorientation. Diagnosis of this condition can be tricky, because the symptoms vary widely from person to person. At Lakeline NeuroVisual Medicine, our eye doctor is highly qualified and specializes in diagnosing BVD. For relief from the uncomfortable symptoms, schedule a consultation and eye exam with an eye doctor near you – in our advanced Austin, TX, eye care clinic.
Assessing Binocular Vision Dysfunction
The evaluation of BVD is not the same as a regular comprehensive eye exam. Standard eye exams are used to diagnose and design treatment for conditions such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism, presbyopia, and ocular disease – but they cannot always detect binocular vision dysfunction. In fact, it is not uncommon for a person we diagnose with BVD to have been told repeatedly by other optometrists that their vision is entirely “normal.” In the case of children, this misdiagnosis has often led to struggles in school, which eventually cause behavioral problems too.
Diagnosing BVD
The diagnostic evaluation for binocular vision dysfunction inspects a range of visual skills that are not checked in a regular eye exam. For example, Dr. Jennifer Catalasan will assess:
- Accommodation (focusing)
- Depth perception
- Convergence (eye teaming)
- Fusion
- Ocular motility
- Presence of any conditions that may affect binocular vision functioning
- Spatial awareness
- Tracking
- Stereopsis
- Visual-motor integration
- Visual processing
- Visual perception
In comparison, a regular eye exam checks visual acuity for near and distance, as well as eye health.
Signs of Binocular Vision Dysfunction
By definition, BVD is the inability to stay focused on an object with both eyes so that one single image is seen. If you have binocular vision dysfunction, the two separate images conveyed from your eyes to your brain don’t merge successfully.
Certain signs can indicate that you need to visit an eye doctor near you for a BVD assessment, including:
- Double vision
- Blurry vision or shadowed vision
- Dizziness
- Headaches
- Being uncoordinated, clumsy, or having problems with balance
- Avoidance of doing tasks that rely on near vision
- Closing one eye while viewing objects up-close, including a computer screen
- Eye strain or fatigue
- Images seem to move in your peripheral vision, even when they are still
- Motion sickness; travel sickness
- Nausea
- Light sensitivity
- Poor depth perception
- Re-reading text over and over to understand it
- Needing to read with a finger as a guide or you’ll lose your place
Do you find that you regularly suffer from any of these problems? If so, we recommend that you take our BVD Questionnaire immediately, and then reach out to our Austin, TX, eye doctor near you to schedule a comprehensive examination and assessment. Dr. Jennifer Catalasan is trained and experienced in diagnosing and treating binocular vision dysfunction.
At Lakeline NeuroVisual Medicine, we put your family's needs first. Talk to us about how we can help you maintain healthy vision. Call us today: 512-918-3937 or book an appointment online to see one of our Austin eye doctors.
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