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The Relationship Between Mal de Débarquement Syndrome & Vertical Heterophoria
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The Relationship Between Mal de Débarquement Syndrome & Vertical Heterophoria

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Who doesn’t love a cruise vacation? With the endless food, ‘round the clock entertainment and exotic destinations, cruises are becoming one of the most popular ways for travelers to vacation. While some may suffer from seasickness or other physical issues as they adjust to the constant movement of the ship, for the most part, a majority of people are able to adapt and make the transition between land and sea without much trouble. There is a small portion of the population, however, which develops a condition known as Mal de Débarquement Syndrome – which translates to “illness of disembarkation” in French.

Understanding Mal de Débarquement Syndrome

Mal de Débarquement Syndrome (MdDS) is a rare neurological disorder that can present after getting off a plane or ship. What essentially happens is that the person is unable to get his or her “land legs” back. In other words, they experience the same sensations of bobbing, rocking and swaying on land as they did when they were aboard. These feelings can continue for days, weeks or even months, and are understandably very disconcerting.

The official diagnosis of Mal de Débarquement Syndrome is generally made by an ENT doctor when the history shows the symptoms started with travel and when the vestibular tests come back negative. For a long time, there was no treatment for MdDS, but in recent years, researchers at Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York were able to develop a successful treatment that teaches the eye muscles to again work together with the vestibular system. While many people are helped by this treatment, there are some patients who don’t improve.

What Happens When Vertical Heterophoria & MdDS Converge

Those with Mal de Débarquement Syndrome may also have a condition known as Vertical Heterophoria (VH). Oddly enough, though the symptoms of MdDS can be relieved somewhat just by moving or riding in a vehicle, the symptoms of VH are made worse by the same actions. These patients may have already had VH but didn’t become symptomatic until the vestibular system became out of balance, hence the MdDS. After receiving the appropriate treatment for VH – aligning micro-prism lenses from a trained NeuroVisual Specialist – many of these patients see a significant reduction in their dizzy, vertigo and nausea symptoms as the visual aspect of the problem is addressed.

Find Relief at Vision Specialists of Michigan

If you’ve recently returned from a cruise or plane ride and are experiencing ongoing symptoms of dizziness or vertigo, you may have MdDS. It’s important to be seen by an experienced NeuroVisual Specialist like those at Vision Specialists of Michigan as soon as possible. Our doctors can perform a comprehensive NeuroVisual Examination to determine if VH really is part of the problem. To receive treatment for dizziness or other symptoms of VH or MdDS, don’t hesitate to give us a call at (248) 258-9000. You may also want to 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.