Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsHow BVD Affects VisionBVD TestWho Has BVD?Treatments
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
How BVD Affects Vision
BVD Test
Who Has BVD?
Treatments
Binocular vision dysfunction (BVD) occurs when your eyes don’t line up, causing problems communicating with your brain. BVD can lead to double or blurred vision, light sensitivity, trouble focusing, headache, vertigo (feeling like you’re spinning), and nausea—among other symptoms.
Proper diagnosis is critical for managing BVD. Eye doctors with specialized training, such asophthalmologistsoroptometrists, can diagnose the condition. However, there are ways to self-test for BVD. This article discusses the symptoms and causes of BVD, how to tell you have it, and how specialists identify and treat this condition.
How Binocular Dysfunction Affects Vision
Binocular vision dysfunction is a wide range of problems with eye alignment. Depending on the type of BVD, these conditions affect your vision and cause other symptoms.
Types of Binocular Dysfunction
There are many ways that BVD can affect your eyes’ alignment. The most common types of BVD are:
Vision Symptoms
There are a range of vision symptoms associated with BVD. These include:
Other Signs
BVD can also cause symptoms that aren’t directly related to vision, including:
BVD and Mental Health
Living with a BVD can significantly impact your mental health. Studies have found those with this condition are more likely to experience psychiatric conditions, such as:
Computer Vision Syndrome and BVD
Binocular Vision Dysfunction Test: How to Tell
Since BVD can significantly impact your vision and cause other symptoms, proper diagnosis is crucial. If you suspect you have BVD, there are tests you can take at home before following up with an eye specialist.
To thoroughly diagnose BVD, ophthalmologists or eye specialists rely on comprehensive eye exams.
What’s Possible at Home?
At-home tests may reveal signs of a BVD, which should prompt you to get medical help. One of the most common is the five-minute cover test. Here’s how it works:
Some optometry or ophthalmology practices provide online questionnaires about your symptoms.
Official Diagnosis Process
Healthcare providers rely on visual acuity (how well you see) and eye alignment tests to properly diagnose a BVD. After getting a sense of your overall health, ophthalmologists or other specialists will perform the following exams:
Differential DiagnosisSince BVD can mimic the symptoms of other conditions, it’s common for this condition to be mistaken for something else. These conditions include:ADHDDyslexiaMigraineAnxiety disordersMyasthenia gravis(an autoimmune disorder affecting muscle movement)Diabetes mellitusBenign paroxysmal positional vertigo (a disorder which causes bouts of vertigo symptoms)Other developmental or learning disorders
Differential Diagnosis
Since BVD can mimic the symptoms of other conditions, it’s common for this condition to be mistaken for something else. These conditions include:ADHDDyslexiaMigraineAnxiety disordersMyasthenia gravis(an autoimmune disorder affecting muscle movement)Diabetes mellitusBenign paroxysmal positional vertigo (a disorder which causes bouts of vertigo symptoms)Other developmental or learning disorders
Since BVD can mimic the symptoms of other conditions, it’s common for this condition to be mistaken for something else. These conditions include:
Who Has Binocular Vision Dysfunction?
People of any age or health history can develop BVD. It can arise due to physical problems with the eyes, vision problems (refractive errors), neurological issues, injury, or other diseases.
Certain populations are at an increased risk of developing a BVD. Risk factors for this condition include a family history of BVD and anisometropia (issues with the eyes’ ability to refract light) and significant differences between the eyes in their ability to see.
Treatments to Correct BVD
Therapy for BVD is tailored to the individual and can involve a range of at-home and in-clinic techniques with vision specialists. These therapies often work together to ease symptoms and prevent attacks.
Office-Based Vision Therapy
Office-based vision therapy involves doing exercises to improve binocular function. In a clinic or office, you’ll be asked to perform visual tasks aimed at strengthening muscles and developing better coordination. This may involve activities like focusing on targets near and far away, and adjusting as they move.
Home Exercises
If you have been diagnosed with BVD, an ophthalmologist or eye specialist will educate you on helpful at-home eye exercises.
One approach called the pencil pushup, involves holding a pencil at arm’s length, focusing on the tip or eraser, and slowly pulling it back toward your face. The idea is to keep the image focused and change direction when the image is doubled.
Additionally, specialized computer programs can take you through exercises to develop binocular function. Studies noted that these are most effective alongside in-office treatment.
Prism Glasses
Using specialized lenses, prism glasses redirect light entering the eye to treat double-vision or other signs of BVD. Wearing these glasses and correcting other vision problems, such as near or farsightedness, can go a long way in managing these disorders.
Summary
Binocular vision dysfunction (BVD) is when your eyes are out of alignment or have trouble working together to help you see. Since BVD can cause symptoms like blurriness, double-vision, and difficulty reading, as well as headache and nausea, proper diagnosis of BVD is crucial for treatment.
Therapies for this condition include in-office vision therapy, at-home exercises, and wearing specialized prism glasses.
9 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Benhaim-Sitbon L, Lev M, Polat U.Abnormal basic visual processing functions in binocular fusion disorders.Sci Rep. 2023;13(1):19301. doi:10.1038/s41598-023-46291-wBodack M, Jenewein E.New thinking on binocular vision problems.Review of Optometry.Candy TR, Cormack LK.Recent understanding of binocular vision in the natural environment with clinical implications.Prog Retin Eye Res. 2022;88:101014. doi:10.1016/j.preteyeres.2021.101014García-Muñoz Á, Carbonell-Bonete S, Cacho-Martínez P.Symptomatology associated with accommodative and binocular vision anomalies.J Optom. 2014;7(4):178-192. doi:10.1016/j.optom.2014.06.005Buffenn AN.The impact of strabismus on psychosocial heath and quality of life: a systematic review.Survey of Ophthalmology. 2021;66(6):1051-1064. doi:10.1016/j.survophthal.2021.03.005American Academy of Ophthalmology.Cover tests.Petrosyan T.The dos and don’ts of binocular vision testing.Review of Optometry.American Academy of Ophthalmology.Convergence ability.American Optometric Association.Care of the patient with accommodative and vergence dysfunction.Additional ReadingBodack M, Jenewein E.New thinking on binocular vision problems.Review of Optometry.
9 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Benhaim-Sitbon L, Lev M, Polat U.Abnormal basic visual processing functions in binocular fusion disorders.Sci Rep. 2023;13(1):19301. doi:10.1038/s41598-023-46291-wBodack M, Jenewein E.New thinking on binocular vision problems.Review of Optometry.Candy TR, Cormack LK.Recent understanding of binocular vision in the natural environment with clinical implications.Prog Retin Eye Res. 2022;88:101014. doi:10.1016/j.preteyeres.2021.101014García-Muñoz Á, Carbonell-Bonete S, Cacho-Martínez P.Symptomatology associated with accommodative and binocular vision anomalies.J Optom. 2014;7(4):178-192. doi:10.1016/j.optom.2014.06.005Buffenn AN.The impact of strabismus on psychosocial heath and quality of life: a systematic review.Survey of Ophthalmology. 2021;66(6):1051-1064. doi:10.1016/j.survophthal.2021.03.005American Academy of Ophthalmology.Cover tests.Petrosyan T.The dos and don’ts of binocular vision testing.Review of Optometry.American Academy of Ophthalmology.Convergence ability.American Optometric Association.Care of the patient with accommodative and vergence dysfunction.Additional ReadingBodack M, Jenewein E.New thinking on binocular vision problems.Review of Optometry.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Benhaim-Sitbon L, Lev M, Polat U.Abnormal basic visual processing functions in binocular fusion disorders.Sci Rep. 2023;13(1):19301. doi:10.1038/s41598-023-46291-wBodack M, Jenewein E.New thinking on binocular vision problems.Review of Optometry.Candy TR, Cormack LK.Recent understanding of binocular vision in the natural environment with clinical implications.Prog Retin Eye Res. 2022;88:101014. doi:10.1016/j.preteyeres.2021.101014García-Muñoz Á, Carbonell-Bonete S, Cacho-Martínez P.Symptomatology associated with accommodative and binocular vision anomalies.J Optom. 2014;7(4):178-192. doi:10.1016/j.optom.2014.06.005Buffenn AN.The impact of strabismus on psychosocial heath and quality of life: a systematic review.Survey of Ophthalmology. 2021;66(6):1051-1064. doi:10.1016/j.survophthal.2021.03.005American Academy of Ophthalmology.Cover tests.Petrosyan T.The dos and don’ts of binocular vision testing.Review of Optometry.American Academy of Ophthalmology.Convergence ability.American Optometric Association.Care of the patient with accommodative and vergence dysfunction.
Benhaim-Sitbon L, Lev M, Polat U.Abnormal basic visual processing functions in binocular fusion disorders.Sci Rep. 2023;13(1):19301. doi:10.1038/s41598-023-46291-w
Bodack M, Jenewein E.New thinking on binocular vision problems.Review of Optometry.
Candy TR, Cormack LK.Recent understanding of binocular vision in the natural environment with clinical implications.Prog Retin Eye Res. 2022;88:101014. doi:10.1016/j.preteyeres.2021.101014
García-Muñoz Á, Carbonell-Bonete S, Cacho-Martínez P.Symptomatology associated with accommodative and binocular vision anomalies.J Optom. 2014;7(4):178-192. doi:10.1016/j.optom.2014.06.005
Buffenn AN.The impact of strabismus on psychosocial heath and quality of life: a systematic review.Survey of Ophthalmology. 2021;66(6):1051-1064. doi:10.1016/j.survophthal.2021.03.005
American Academy of Ophthalmology.Cover tests.
Petrosyan T.The dos and don’ts of binocular vision testing.Review of Optometry.
American Academy of Ophthalmology.Convergence ability.
American Optometric Association.Care of the patient with accommodative and vergence dysfunction.
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