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The 411 on Vertical Heterophoria
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The 411 on Vertical Heterophoria

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Because headaches and dizziness can originate from a variety of different medical conditions, people who experience these symptoms are frequently misdiagnosed. One such disorder that’s often mistaken for other conditions is Vertical Heterophoria (VH), which is caused by an eye misalignment. The unfortunate fact of the matter is that this is a little-known condition, which means that it’s not well-understood by the doctors and specialists that VH patients turn to for help. As a result, they struggle to receive proper, effective treatment.

Dr. Debby Feinberg of Vision Specialists of Michigan has led the way in the diagnosis and treatment of VH and other binocular vision disorders. Below we discuss VH, its symptoms and how Dr. Feinberg and our other talented specialists diagnose and treat this condition.

Vertical Heterophoria: The Basics

Have you ever wondered why, despite having two eyes, you only see one image? This is because our brain is so intricate and complex that it’s able to turn two separate images into one clear three-dimensional image. However, in order for this to occur, it’s essential for the eyes to be in perfect alignment.

If they aren’t in alignment, your eyes will transmit two images to the brain, one at a slightly different position than the other. The brain won’t accept this situation and responds by forcing the extraocular muscles of the eyes to fix the problem by realigning the eyes. The realignment doesn’t hold and misalignment then recurs, which is followed closely by realignment. Over time, the continuous cycle of misalignment and realignment puts a great deal of strain on the eye muscles. This causes them to become tired and sore, which can lead to a variety of unpleasant and sometimes painful symptoms, which are indicators of Vertical Heterophoria.

Common VH Symptoms

While the symptoms of VH vary from person to person and can include any of the following:

 

  • Dizziness & nausea
  • Vertigo
  • Sensitivity to light
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Reading problems
  • Pain on eye movement
  • Anxiety in large, crowded places
  • Feeling disoriented while riding in a car
  • Painful sinuses
  • Balance issues
  • Neck pain
  • Headache

Unfortunately, because a lot of these symptoms coincide with other, more common medical conditions, VH patients tend to be misdiagnosed. For instance, children who have trouble staying focused at school and are lagging behind classmates in their schoolwork may be misdiagnosed as having a learning disability or ADD/ADHD, when it’s really VH that’s behind the learning issues.

The Diagnosis & Treatment of VH

With the specialized training our doctors have and the state-of-the-art equipment we use at Vision Specialists of Michigan, we’re able to detect even the slightest of eye misalignments. In order to treat VH, we use glasses with customized aligning micro-prism lenses to realign the images. This helps reduce the strain on the eye aligning muscles and alleviate the symptoms, thus allowing VH patients to finally receive relief.

If you think yourself or a loved one may be suffering from Vertical Heterophoria, please don’t hesitate to contact our specialists and get tested for this condition. Give us a call today at (248) 258-9000 to schedule an appointment or check out our online BVD questionnaire.

 

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Dr. Sandy DiPonio earned her optometry degree from Illinois College of Optometry in 1996. She is a highly skilled and experienced eye care professional dedicated to giving her patients of all ages excellent and compassionate care. She has a wide variety of experience in binocular vision, pediatric and adult eye care, ocular disease and contact lens fitting. She strives to provide each of her patients the best quality of life they can achieve with their vision through knowledge and education of treatment options.

Dr. DiPonio is a member of the American Optometric Society and Michigan Optometric Society.

Dr. Sally Hoey has been practicing optometry since graduating from Michigan College of Optometry in 2001. During her time in optometry school, she developed an interest in binocular vision, culminating in a senior thesis involving binocular vision.

Prior to joining Vision Specialists of Michigan, Dr. Hoey specialized in the diagnosis and treatment of vision-related learning problems as well as other binocular vision disorders. Her other areas of interest include specialty contact lens fittings and treating dry eye. Dr. Hoey strives to provide her patients with clear, comfortable vision while meeting their individual needs at the same time.

Dr. Hoey had the opportunity to provide eye care on an optometric mission trip to Guyana, South America and vision screenings at a local medical clinic. She is a member of the American Optometric Association, Michigan Optometric Association, Metropolitan Detroit Optometric Society and the College of Optometrists in Vision Development.

Dr. Jennifer Place graduated with honors from Michigan College of Optometry in 2001.

Before joining Vision Specialists of Michigan, she specialized in treating pediatric and adult patients with binocular vision disorders and vision-related learning problems, as well as fitting specialty contact lenses and managing various types of ocular disease. She enjoys working with patients with unique visual needs, and she takes great pride in providing all patients with highly customized care.

Dr. Place has volunteered for Opening Eyes, a program that provides eye exams to the athletes of the Michigan Special Olympics, and she participated in an international mission to St. Lucia to provide eye care to those in need. Dr. Place is a member of the Detroit Optometric Society, the Michigan Optometric Association, the American Optometric Association, the College of Vision Development, and the Optometric Extension Program Foundation.

Dr. Mary Jo Ference has been practicing optometry since 1990 upon graduating from Ferris State University- Michigan College of Optometry, and is certified in Low Vision Rehabilitation. She has worked at Sinai-Grace Hospital systems for over 20 years before joining Vision Specialists of Michigan in 2013 to work with binocular vision disorders. Her clinical areas of expertise include visual rehabilitation of pediatric and adult patients who have suffered from brain trauma, injury or disease. She has taught both optometry and ophthalmology residents at Sinai Grace Hospital. Dr. Ference has sat on numerous boards, including Sinai Grace Hospital, Berry Out-Patient Surgical Center, and Seedlings Braille Books for the Blind. She is actively involved in area school districts to provide education, training and access for students, teachers, OT’s and PT’s to eye care service rehabilitation information. Dr. Ference has lectured extensively nationally and internationally.

Dr. Debby Feinberg began practicing Optometry in Oakland County in 1983, upon graduating from Illinois College of Optometry. She joined her father, Dr. Paul C. Feinberg, at Mall Optical Center, which was located in Summit Place Mall.

Since 1995 Dr. Feinberg has been developing the field of NeuroVisual Medicine which is the optometric subspecialty that identifies and treats neurological / medical symptoms that originate directly or indirectly in the visual system.

Dr. Feinberg has been performing pioneering work with Binocular Vision Dysfunction (BVD), a condition where a vision misalignment (frequently subtle) creates difficulties with the two eyes working together to create a single 3-dimensional image, and difficulties with the two eyes following that image as it moves.

The symptoms caused by BVD are not usually associated with problems with the visual system, and include headache, dizziness, anxiety and panic, persistent post-concussive symptoms, gait instability and balance problems, frequent falls, neck pain, motion sickness, nausea, and reading and learning problems.

In 2004. Dr. Feinberg established Vision Specialists of Birmingham, specifically designing the practice to accommodate the needs of the NeuroVisual Medicine patient.

In 2011, the office moved to its current location in Bloomfield Hills and updated its name to Vision Specialists of Michigan.