Constant Headaches a Symptom of BVD

Did you know that BVD can affect up to 50 percent of kids diagnosed with ADD/ADHD and other learning issues?

Headaches are a common occurrence in today’s world. Usually, they go away after you take some over-the-counter pills. This happens with regular headaches, but other headaches occur often and are not responsive to pain meds. The cause of these types of headaches can be elusive.

Doctors can often misdiagnose the cause of these headaches. One major cause of such headaches is a condition known as binocular vision dysfunction (BVD)

What Is BVD?

Binocular vision dysfunction is a common condition among Americans. However, people overlook and misdiagnose it in many situations. It occurs when one eye is out of alignment with the other eye—in other words when the eyes cannot meet in one line of sight.

Usually, the brain and the eyes work synchronously to produce one harmonious image. This becomes a challenge when the eyes are misaligned from each other. When the eyes struggle to align, it exerts strain on the muscles around them. This strain results in the common symptoms of BVD.

Symptoms of BVD

A wide range of symptoms attributed to BVD makes it particularly challenging to diagnose. This wide range means people can mistake it for several other conditions. Here are some of the significant symptoms of BVD:

 

• Difficulty reading, which includes losing your place on the page, skipping words, words running together, and quickly getting tired
   

• Poor hand-eye coordination, depth perception, and eye contact
   

• Halos around lights, glare, and light sensitivity
   

• Vertigo-like symptoms, dizziness, disorientation, and nausea
   

• Insomnia and restless sleep
   

• Eye pain, eyestrain, and blurred vision
   

• Agoraphobia, stress around crowded environments, and generalized anxiety
   

• Upper back pain, neck pain, and chronic headaches
   

• Difficulty driving, including nausea and high-stress levels

How BVD Causes Headaches

Most visual problems can cause headaches because vision actively engages the brain. When the eye muscles work abnormally, the strain they create travels to the rest of the head, causing a headache. This pressure compounds significantly if you perform visually demanding tasks.

Treatment Options for BVD

There are two main treatments available for BVD: vision therapy and micro-prism lenses.

Vision Therapy

Vision therapy is a modality that helps enhance communication between the eyes and the brain. It supports the visual system and alleviates the symptoms of BVD. Vision therapy is commonly administered together with the use of prism lenses. Doctors fashion the program to meet the needs of every patient depending on the severity of the condition.

Micro-prism Lenses

Prism lenses manipulate light before it enters the eye to correct misalignment of the eyes. It works by merging the two images received by different eyes. This allows the brain to perceive the image as one. The brain begins to perceive the eyes as if they were in alignment. This mechanism is efficient in reducing muscle strain around the eyes. Micro-prism lenses significantly reduce the headaches suffered by patients.

For more on constant headaches and BVD, visit Eye Care North at our office in Cave Creek, Arizona. You can also call 480-781-4446 to book an appointment today.