Are you experiencing frequent headaches, dizziness, or double vision—especially after reading or using a screen? You might be dealing with a condition called Binocular Vision Dysfunction (BVD).
Although BVD can significantly impact your daily life, it often goes undiagnosed or is mistaken for other issues like migraines, anxiety, or balance disorders. In this post, we’ll explain what BVD is, how to recognise it, and the treatment options that can help you regain comfort and clarity.
What Is Binocular Vision Dysfunction?
Binocular Vision Dysfunction (BVD) occurs when your eyes struggle to work together as a team. Normally, both eyes align and focus together to create one clear image, allowing for accurate depth perception and spatial awareness. But in someone with BVD, the eyes are slightly misaligned or uncoordinated, causing the brain to receive two different images. This visual mismatch leads to a range of uncomfortable symptoms.
Common Symptoms of BVD
BVD can affect people differently, and symptoms often mimic other conditions. Common signs include:
- Double vision or seeing overlapping images
- Frequent headaches, especially after reading, screen time, or close work
- Eye strain or fatigue, even with short periods of visual focus
- Dizziness, nausea, or feeling off-balance in crowded or visually complex environments
- Difficulty with depth perception, making tasks like driving or walking downstairs more challenging.
These symptoms may worsen with prolonged visual tasks and can interfere with work, school, and everyday activities.
What Causes BVD?
BVD can be caused by a variety of underlying issues, including:
- Strabismus: A noticeable or subtle misalignment of the eyes
- Convergence insufficiency: Difficulty focusing on nearby ob-jects
- Neurological conditions: Issues with how the brain processes visual input
- Head or eye trauma: Injuries can disrupt the delicate coordina-tion between the eyes.
Identifying the cause of your BVD is a key part of developing an effec-tive treatment plan.
How Is BVD Diagnosed?
A standard eye test may not detect BVD. Diagnosis usually requires a comprehensive behavioural optometry consultation by an optometrist trained in behavioural optometry. These tests evaluate eye alignment, focus, coordination, and how your eyes work together over time.
If you’ve seen multiple specialists without finding answers for your symptoms, a BVD assessment might be the missing piece.
Treatment Options for Binocular Vision Dysfunction
The good news? BVD is highly treatable. Depending on the severity and cause, treatment may include:
- Vision therapy: A personalised program of eye exercises that retrains your eyes and brain to work together more effectively. You can learn more about our vision therapy.
- Prism glasses: Special lenses that help align your visual input, easing symptoms like double vision or dizziness
- Surgical options: In some cases, especially with significant strabismus, surgery may be recommended to realign the eyes.
Most people see significant improvements in comfort, focus, and quality of life with the right treatment approach.
Living with BVD: Practical Tips
While treatment is essential, small changes in your environment and habits can also help manage symptoms:
- Take regular breaks from screens and reading
- Use good lighting to reduce eye strain
- Minimise visual clutter in your space
- Consider assistive tools like audio notes or magnifiers for certain tasks
Let family, friends, and coworkers know how BVD affects you so they can support you
Your next step:
Binocular Vision Dysfunction may be invisible to others, but it’s very real—and often life-disrupting—for those who experience it. If you’ve been struggling with symptoms like dizziness, headaches, or visual discomfort, don’t ignore them. A BVD assessment could be the first step toward relief and renewed confidence in your daily life.
Think you might have BVD? Reach out to optometry@cooroy for a comprehensive evaluation. Early treatment can make a world of difference.
