Reading and Learning Difficulty

Binocular Vision Dysfunction, also known as BVD, occurs when our eyes are slightly misaligned and can lead to symptoms commonly confused with dyslexia, learning disabilities, difficulties with reading comprehension, and ADHD or ADD.

BVD is the result of a slight misalignment between our eyes. While this misalignment can be very subtle, it can make it incredibly difficult for our eyes to send one clear image to our brain.

Here’s what happens when someone has BVD: With two eyes, we are able to see one clear image. This is because our brain is able to merge the images seen by the two eyes into a single image, which is known as binocular vision.

In patients with BVD, there is a slight misalignment between their eyes resulting in their eyes being out of sync with one another, causing the brain to have a very difficult time processing those two separate images to form one clear image.

The result? The brain forces the eye aligning muscles to fix the problem by realigning the eyes. But the realignment is only temporary and misalignment then recurs, which is followed closely by realignment, and the cycle of misalignment and realignment continues. Over time, this places an immense amount of strain on the eye muscles and leads to dizziness and difficulty reading, as well as a variety of other symptoms.

Children are commonly diagnosed with the following conditions when it might in fact be their eyes (BVD) creating the symptoms:

Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Attention Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD):People suffering from ADD and ADHD struggle with their ability to sustain attention.
This makes it difficult to read and to comprehend what has been read. Many children and adults are
being prescribed medications to help them concentrate better, however, the issue with reading and
comprehension might actually be a problem with vision misalignment.

People with Binocular Vision Dysfunction experience blurred, shadowed, or possibly double vision making reading very difficult. They also live with a chaotic visual field, making reading and paying attention extremely difficult. Our young patients often tell us that letters and words “swim on the page” or “vibrate” or “shimmer.” When you are unable to read or comprehend the information you stop paying attention, and might even become hyperactive. Vision alignment achieved using specialized aligning glasses allows you to see clearly without stress and strain and calms the visual chaos, making visual tasks easier. Once you are able to clearly see the words in front of you, concentrating and sitting still becomes easier.

Dyslexia: Dyslexia is often characterized by jumbled letters, trouble with word sequences, and spelling. These same symptoms are found in our patients with Binocular Vision Dysfunction. When the reading difficulty is due to a vision misalignment, aligning lenses reduces the blurred and distorted vision and words can be seen clearly and in order, easing or eliminating the reading disability.

Convergence Insufficiency: Convergence Insufficiency is a vision misalignment condition where bringing the eyes together (converging) is hard to do, leading to an overworked vision system. Because you struggle to bring your eyes together, near-vision activities like reading can be incredibly difficult.

However, many of the symptoms caused by Convergence Insufficiency are also common to patients suffering from Binocular Vision Dysfunction. When the traditional treatments (like vision therapy) do not provide you with reading disability relief, you might actually be suffering from Binocular Vision Dysfunction. The specialized aligning lenses bring images together, making it unnecessary for the eye muscles to strain to bring your eyes together. This allows you to see clearly and to focus on the words in front of you, providing you with reading and learning disability relief.

It’s important for doctors and parents to be aware of the overlap amongst the above learning difficulties and BVD. Having this knowledge can potentially impact the course of a child’s life.

Symptoms of BVD

If your child has BVD, the symptoms will vary depending on their age.

Symptoms of BVD in Adults and Children 14+

There are several symptoms associated with BVD in adults and children 14-years-old and older, which typically include the below. Some individuals experience all of these symptoms, while others experience only a few, such as headaches, nausea, and dizziness.

Headaches
Migraines
Dizziness
Nausea
Anxiety
Sensitivity to light
Difficulty with balance / unsteady walking
Pain in the neck
Frequent head tilte
Motion sickness
Reading comprehension, difficulty reading, and learning
Dyslexia
Learning disability
ADHD/ADD

Symptoms of BVD in Children Ages 4 to 8-years-old

Poor handwriting (poor spacing, writing letters too big or small)
Difficulty reading
Avoiding activities
Playing with toys very close to their face
Sitting close to the TV
Difficulty identifying shapes, colors, and numbers that are age-appropriate
Difficulty with balance / unsteady walking
Difficulty seeing the class board
Frequently bumping into objects
Difficulty catching balls
Stomach aches and headaches at school or away from home
Light sensitivity
Covering one eye to see
Anxiety in public places
Frequent squinting in order to see

Symptoms of BVD in Children Ages 9 to 13-years-old

Repeatedly bumping into things while walking
Having difficulty completing homework due to headache and nausea
Repeatedly reading the same things over and over
Sensitivity to bright lights
Closing one eye to make it easier to see
Blurred vision when using the computer
Blurred vision or tired eyes when looking at the blackboard in class
Verbal skills that are ahead of reading skills
Frequent blinking

How Is BVD Diagnosed?

In order to determine if your child’s dyslexia, learning disabilities, or reading comprehension difficulties are the result of BVD, we recommend you visit your primary care physician or a specialist to rule out other causes. If no cause is found for the symptoms, our team at Vision Specialists of Michigan can help determine if BVD is the issue.

During your child’s visit:

1. We ask you to fill out a specialized questionnaire designed to screen for those who might have BVD.
2. You will be asked to complete a detailed Health History form.
3. An eye exam is performed to determine the need for correction of nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism (a common imperfection in the eye’s curvature).
4. A specialized evaluation is performed (NeuroVisual Examination) to determine if visual misalignment is present.
5. If diagnosed with BVD, your child will be fitted with a trial version of their new prescription.
   Most people notice a significant improvement in their symptoms within just a few minutes of
   putting on the trial lenses.

You can expect to spend approximately 3 hours in our office during your visit.

Get Treatment for Your Dyslexia, Reading Comprehension
Difficulties, Learning Disability, and Binocular Vision Dysfunction
Now

For anyone suffering from reading comprehension difficulties or a learning disability as a result of BVD, there is treatment. Our compassionate doctors at Vision Specialists of Michigan will
complete a thorough NeuroVisual Examination to determine the extent of your child’s vision
misalignment and prescribe them with the specialized aligning lenses.