Our body is one of the most complex machine there is in the world, and despite its complexity, it works perfectly in unison, well-coordinated, well-designed and efficient. Of all the senses that we have, seeing is probably the most needed and most intricate. Most people go through life without any need for prescription eyeglasses, and most would just need reading glasses when they get to their forties.
However, there are also quite a number of people who probably are not aware that they have Binocular Vision Dysfunction, and will just suffer in silence all throughout their lives, and will focus on treating migraines, vertigo, dizziness, motion sickness, neck pain and eye strain and will at best treat the symptoms only and not the cause of it.
We use our eyes every waking moment that we spend and without it our lives would surely be lacking, however, one does not even have to be blind to appreciate how important and amazing our eyes are. Conditions like Binocular Vision Dysfunction show us that when our eyes do not work like it is supposed to work, then it can bring about so many symptoms that can immensely impact the quality of our life and well-being.
What Exactly is Binocular Vision Dysfunction?
Our eyes see the same object as separate entities but due to the way our eyes function, we recognize the image as one, our eyes have a centering mechanism that allows our brain to perceive the object as one, this mechanism is known as binocular vision.
However, there are cases wherein the part of the eyes that is responsible for the focusing of the eye is not working well and a complex process of refocusing and misalignment occurs without the person knowing it. It is a dysfunction because it is not able to do what it is supposed to be designed to do, a dysfunction also means that the problem with it is mainly on how it functions and not the ability to see or the sense of sight.
Binocular vision dysfunction is therefore the inability of the eyes to focus and align the eyes so it can correctly see a three dimensional object from two eyes that are supposed to work together in unison. Surprisingly, there are more people who have this condition without them knowing that they have it. It can however lead to many symptoms that can be mistaken for some other illnesses, and one can seek treatment for those symptoms but then it never stops and the same cycle goes on.
What Causes Binocular Vision Dysfunction?
It has been found that Binocular Vision Dysfunction usually occurs after some form of physical trauma that involves the central nervous system such as a stroke, an aneurysm, or a traumatic brain injury, and other neurological conditions. However, it is still possible to have Binocular Vision Dysfunction even if you have not had any of the said conditions, more often than not, people who suffer from it were actually born with it. It may not be evident when they were younger, but as they reach their forties, the eye muscles lose its elasticity and symptoms begin to occur at this age. There is no way to tell whether one will have Binocular Vision Dysfunction until the symptoms occur.
How Is Binocular Vision Dysfunction Diagnosed?
Since Binocular Vision Dysfunction manifests itself in terms of the different symptoms associated with it, it is actually the person suffering from the condition who are more able to describe his or her condition. Thus, the first means of assessing the condition is through a standardized questionnaire that had been developed to measure the occurrence and frequency of symptoms.
There are a number of criteria that should be met before one can even be diagnosed as having binocular vision disorder. Once the patient have answered the questionnaire and his or her scores are reported, only those with scores of 15 and above are said to potentially be suffering from binocular vision dysfunction. After which, a physical exam will be conducted by competent physicians and eye specialists to rule out any other condition that may explain the symptoms.
The optometrist will conduct an eye exam to determine if the patient has farsightedness or nearsightedness and any other related condition. Then another doctor will conduct a neuro visual examination to determine the presence of misalignment. In this way, the diagnosis will accurately be Binocular Vision Dysfunction. Once the doctor is confident that the symptoms are not caused by any other related diseases, then a diagnosis can be found. The patient is then prescribed the needed eye lenses that will help correct the misalignment.
What Are The Symptoms of Binocular Vision Dysfunction?
The symptoms of Binocular Vision Dysfunction are plenty, it can range from just a slightly throbbing headache to the more full blown vertigo and migraine attacks. When the inner ear regulates our sense of balance and is not able to do so because of the disparity between what the eyes are able to focus on, the nerves and the muscles in the eyes take over the job and forces the eyes to focus and re-align itself, and after which the misalignment come back.
This cycle of focusing, misalignment and realignment will result to strained eye muscles, which in turn could lead to headaches, migraines, nausea, eye strain, stiff necks and even motion sickness. All of which are conditions that are also related to other illnesses such as sinusitis, astigmatism and migraines, people may take medication for the said symptoms but after a short period of relief, the discomfort and pain returns. Moreover, it can also lead to blurred vision for both near and far objects, it can also affect depth perception which makes it doubly hard to drive. However, there is hope for those with Binocular Vision Dysfunction as a new pair of glasses can now help them improve their sense of sight.
A special kind of eyeglass lense is designed to correct the misalignment of the eyes, and it will help in how the eyes will focus and thus will relieve the symptoms in the long run with continued use of the eye glasses.
