What is BVD?

Binocular Vision Dysfunction (BVD) is caused by the two eyes not working together, most frequently due to a misalignment between the two eyes.

When people have normal binocular vision, their eyes work in tandem and are perfectly in sync at all times, allowing the eyes to send one clear and focused picture to the brain.

How does BVD affect my life?

BVD impacts the lives of both children and adults, dramatically affecting the performance at the office and reading and learning skills.

BVD causes difficulties in seeing one clear image. The misalignment of the two eyes causes each eye to send a different image to the brain, which then struggles to turn them into one unified and clear image.

BVD Symptoms

BVD symptoms can lead to a variety of symptoms, including:

• Double vision
• Dizziness
• Fatigue
• Headache
• Motion sickness
• Light sensitivity
• Stress
• Anxiety

Micro-prisms for BVD

BVD can be successfully treated with specific optical lenses called micro-prisms.

Prism lenses work to correct the misalignment in your eyes by manipulating incoming light before it enters your eyes, so when the images from the two eyes reach the brain, the brain can fuse them into a single image.

With prism lenses patients usually find that their symptoms gradually subside or completely disappear.

What to do next?

If you are an eye doctor and want to find out more about treating BVD, contact the Neuro-Visual Medicine Institute: www.nvminstitute.org/

If you feel you may have BVD and are looking for an eye doctor, visit this site: www.vision-specialists.com/

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Anxiety is the most common of all mental disorders. It can cause feelings of near-constant fear, panic, and worry. Feeling anxious and overwhelmed can come from being unsure of your surroundings and prevent sufferers from living a normal life.

When vision is misaligned, it can cause blurred or possibly double vision, dizziness, disorientation and visual overstimulation, especially in crowded places like malls or in crowds.

Many people with vision problems feel anxious and overwhelmed.

Many patients who have previously been diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), agoraphobia, suicidal thoughts and panic attacks may actually be suffering from Binocular Vision Dysfunction (BVD). 

By treating a vision misalignment and allowing the eyes to see clearly and properly, symptoms of anxiety can be reduced or eliminated, providing you with an enormous sense of relief.

Contact an eye doctor near you who has experience working with patients with anxiety and diagnosing and treating BVD.

SEE RELATED: What is Binocular Visual Dysfunction (BVD)?

What is BVD?

Binocular vision dysfunction is a misalignment of the eyes, making them unable to work together as a team.

While this might not sound serious, especially if the misalignment is only very slight, if the eyes aren’t paired in perfect synchronization, it can be difficult or even impossible for a person to function properly without becoming dizzy – even if their vision is clear.

Dizziness is only one of the many signs of BVD.

How is BVD related to anxiety?

If you suffer from BVD, your brain won’t be able to process and make sense of the incoming images your eyes are sending, often resulting in raised anxiety.

This occurs, particularly in a situation where a patient experiences an overload of visual stimuli. This could be because of the speed they are moving or because they are in a busy shopping place surrounded by noise and people.

As the brain tries to deal with the rush of information that doesn’t quite come together perfectly, the person may experience the various symptoms associated with binocular vision dysfunction.

These symptoms are largely similar, if not identical, to those experienced during an anxiety attack. Many people feel alone and isolated when they experience anxiety, particularly when it is a result of BVD.

Fortunately, there are treatment options available that can help patients to overcome the impact that BVD has on their lives.

If you think your anxiety is related to your vision, contact a vision therapy eye doctor near you.

How to Treat BVD

Vision therapy and prism lenses have been found to be a successful way to treat BVD.

Vision Therapy 

Patients with BVD are often treated with a customized program of vision therapy.

Vision therapy is a program to improve the communication between the brain and the eyes, further supporting the visual system and alleviating the symptoms of BVD.

Usually, patients find that their symptoms gradually subside or completely disappear by completing a vision therapy program.

Prism Lenses

Prismatic (prism) lenses, another proven way to alleviate BVD symptoms, work to correct the misalignment of the eyes by manipulating incoming light before it enters the eyes so that when the images from the two eyes reach the brain, the brain can combine them into a single image.

The prisms in the glasses ‘trick’ the brain into thinking the eyes are aligned properly, causing them to see just one object and preventing eye muscle strain.

Prism lenses are often combined with a vision therapy program, can significantly improve a patient’s life.

LEARN MORE:  Guide to Binocular Visual Dysfunction (BVD)

Contact a vision therapy eye doctor near you to start a vision therapy program to give your eyes the relief they deserve.

The post 2021 Update: BVD and Anxiety appeared first on Optometrists.org.

If you experience headaches, blurred vision, anxiety, balance problems, and dizziness making simple everyday tasks difficult, you may have a common visual problem, known as Binocular Vision Dysfunction (BVD).

Binocular Vision Dysfunction (BVD), a condition where the eyes have trouble working together as a team to create one clear image.

BVD can have a major impact on your quality of life, impacting reading, computer use and performing to your best at school or the office.

What is BVD?

Binocular Vision Dysfunction occurs when the eyes are misaligned causing each eye to send a different image to the brain.

For people with normal binocular vision, their eyes work in tandem and are perfectly in sync at all times, which means the eyes send one clear and focused picture to the brain.

People with BVD have difficulty seeing one clear image at all times.

In most cases, the misalignment is very subtle, making it all the more difficult to identify. Even though the misalignment is small and physically unnoticeable, the symptoms can be debilitating.

BVD can result in double vision, fatigue, tiredness and loss of concentration, often leading to increased levels of anxiety and stress.

BVD can affects both adults and children lead to frustration and anxiety due to not being able to perform at your optimum at school or in the office. 

BVD can manifest at any time, often without a definite cause, with symptoms usually experienced during school, college or after long hours at the office.

If you experience any of the symptoms listed above, find an eye doctor near you that may be able to help diagnose and treat BVD.

SEE RELATED: 2021 Update: BVD and Headaches

Causes of BVD

There are several different factors that can cause BVD;

Facial Asymmetry – Where one eye is physically higher than the other.

Nerve or Eye Muscle Dysfunction – Many people are born with reduced functioning of their eye muscles or ocular nerves. The eye muscles become more strained, from trying to constantly realign the images being sent to the brain. This constant effort results in fatigue and makes the BVD symptoms even worse over time.

Traumatic Brain Injury – TBIs, stroke, concussion, brain injury, or similar neurological disorder can cause damage to functioning of the visual system resulting in a misalignment of the eyes.

Symptoms of BVD

BVD symptoms can lead to a variety of symptoms, these can include;

• Dizziness
• Motion sickness
• Headache
• Light sensitivity and
• Anxiety

When to call the eye doctor?

If you find that you regularly suffer from any of the symptoms listed above it is highly recommended that you schedule an exam with an eye doctor that is trained and experienced in diagnosing and treating BVD.

Since many people are unaware of BVD, they do not know to ask their eye doctor to look out for it.

In addition, many people suffering from BVD have a small amount of vision misalignment that is not found on a routine eye exam. That is why it is so important to visit an eye doctor that has experience in BVD.

LEARN MORE:  Guide to Binocular Visual Dysfunction (BVD)

If you suspect you have BVD contact an eye doctor near you to discuss treatment options to help you to effectively maximize your vision allowing you to enjoy your best life.

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Hellerstein and Brenner Vision Center

Visualization is an essential key to a child’s academic success.

• Does your child struggle in school? 

• Is your child less than enthusiastic about learning?

• Have you noticed how stressed your child becomes when it is time for test-taking? 

• Does your child lack self-esteem and confidence? 

• Is your child bullied?

• Do you feel that your child may not be reaching her highest potential? 

• Would you like to empower your child to develop his or her own easy and fun strategies for learning? 

What is visualization?

Welcome to the world of visualization.

This article starts the conversation on what visualization is, how to use it, and what it can do for you if you learn to use it well. 

Visualization is easy to learn—we all have the rudiments of it and even the youngest of children are already visualizing to some degree.  Children are naturally curious, they want to learn and explore. As toddlers, they are enthusiastic and love to learn. Just watch a two-year old  discover everything in the cupboard— he will excitedly pull things apart, while laughing and questioning.

The word visualization conjures up many images and meanings for people. Visualization is defined in numerous ways, depending on the person, the type of discussion and situation.

Visualization may be defined as: 

1. Utilizing visual mental imagery or picturing in your “mind’s eye”.
2. Utilizing the five senses to manipulate a mental image: Sight, sound, touch, smell and taste.

Here is my definition of visualization:

The ability to imagine, sense, become aware of, move, manipulate and expand the pictures in your “mind’s eye” and the feelings or senses in your body, thereby developing new perspectives and creativity. Visualization is the “knowing,” or “I got it,” or “gut feeling,” through the orchestration of your senses.

How do good readers use visualization?

Good readers often report that they “see movies in their head” when they read — these readers are actually visualizing the story as it unfolds. Sometimes they can even see themselves in the story. 

Children who don’t like to read, rarely experience seeing movies in their head, and instead experience difficulty imagining the story or seeing themselves in it.

When a child says that reading is “boring,” trust him, it is. Letters and print are boring to him. Nothing has sparked his imagination… yet.

How does poor visualization affect a child?

When a child  who struggles in reading undertakes the reading experience, he spends most of his time figuring out what the words are. He doesn’t even get a chance to fall into the story, much less visualize what’s going on or what could happen.

If reading becomes a challenge and non-enjoyable, your child will most likely resist reading, and avoid any homework requiring it. 

How can parents help?

As a parent, it is important to notice your child’s frustration— though it is often masked by avoidance behaviors. Once you understand that your child is struggling to read and not just simply avoiding the task, you can use visualization to help them achieve greater success in their:

• Academic performance: Reading, creative writing, spelling, math, homework, and test-preparation
• Sports performance
• Personal development: Stress management, handling fears, dealing with bullies, and building self-confidence

Who can visualize for success? 

Everyone! 

Picture yourself on your dream vacation:

Are you lying on a white sandy beach, cruising through the Greek Isles, watching the sun set over a calm lake or sitting in Fenway Park watching the Red Sox beat the Yankees?

In order to imagine your dream vacation, you need to tap into your visualization skills.

Vision therapy for visualization

Visualization skills develop just as coordination and cognitive skills develop.

Visualization skills can also be taught as part of a comprehensive vision therapy program.

To learn more about visualization, check out my book, See It. Say It. Do It! and click here.

The post The Power of Visualization appeared first on Optometrists.org.

The Vision Development Team

If you frequently experience bouts of anxiety, you are not alone. 

According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA), anxiety is very prevalent in today’s society.

Consider these facts:

• Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) affects about 6.8 million adults, or 3.1% of the U.S. population.
• Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) affects 15 million adults, or 6.8% of the U.S. population.
• Specific phobias affect 19 million adults, or 8.7% of the U.S. population.
• Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) affects more than 16.1 million American adults, or about 6.7% of the U.S. population, and is a leading cause of disability in the U.S. for ages 15 to 44.3.
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) affects 2.2 million adults, or 1.0% of the U.S. population.
• Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), closely related to anxiety disorders, affects 7.7 million adults, or 3.5% of the U.S. population.

Children hide their anxieties

Symptoms of anxiety often start in childhood or adolescence, and children find clever ways of hiding their anxiety.  

As they grow older, anxiety builds until eventually it becomes too hard to disguise.   Unfortunately, anxiety builds quickly, and a once happy child may become a trapped adult.  Trapped by the inability to break through the restraints of relentless feelings of never-ending stress to intense fear.  These emotions can cause barriers limiting one’s ability to joyfully engage in many of life’s great opportunities.

According to ADAA, only 36.9 percent of those suffering from anxiety ever receive treatment.

One surprising, but highly effective form of therapy is reflex integration therapy.   

This therapy approach retrains the nervous system by targeting primitive reflexes that may be at the root of many anxiety disorders.

What are primitive reflexes?

Primitive reflexes are movements that occur automatically without thinking.  There are several primitive reflexes that emerge in sequential order during development.

The first primitive reflex can be first seen as early as five weeks gestation of a growing fetus.  Each reflex acts as a type of neurological code that has a specific purpose in developing our brains and coordinating our bodies.

Primitive reflexes are controlled by the oldest most primitive part of our brain, the brainstem.  These reflexes have a significant role in our physical and psychological development.

Primitive reflexes are most active in utero and for the first year of life. After that, our brains should be developed enough not to need their activity.   At that point, the primitive reflex codes become integrated with higher level brain functions and their activity becomes inhibited until they are no longer even active.

If you suspect your child has an eye condition, contact an eye doctor near you, who can diagnose and treat the condition.

SEE RELATED: What are Retained Primitive Reflexes?

How do primitive reflexes affect a child?

It appears that more and more children are growing up with retention of their primitive reflexes, where the body should be maturing beyond this stage.

Their continued activity of these primitive reflexes, to any degree, causes interference with:

• Vision skill development
• Listening skills
• Balance
• Coordination
• Attention
• Emotional regulation
• Psychological development

What causes the retention of primitive reflexes?

There are many things that can interfere with the developing nervous system, causing primitive reflex activity to persist into childhood or adulthood.

Some examples include:

• Traumatic birth or C-section
• Lack of tummy time
• Lack of belly crawling
• Chronic ear infections
• Food allergies

Even if reflexes were integrated by the first birthday, their activity can return after a brain injury, psychological trauma, concussion, stroke or even from a significant amount of unmanaged stress.

Reflex integration therapy

Fortunately, some vision therapy programs can provide primitive reflex integration therapy and can identify and treat persistent primitive reflex activity.  

By treating the underlying neurological activity, and maturing our neurological foundations, anxiety is reduced while our visual skills, attention, balance, coordination, and cognitive functions improve.

Life is more enjoyable when you feel confident and emotionally balanced.   

LEARN MORE: Guide to Visual Development

Schedule an appointment with an eye doctor for a comprehensive eye exam, and to discuss any questions you may have about treating your child’s eye condition.

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