The Connection Between the Vestibular System and the Visual System

The connection between the vestibular system and the visual system is called the ocular motor reflex. When you are moving through space, your brain knows that your body is moving – even if your eyes do not. This reflex helps to keep you balanced and able to walk and coordinate your activities smoothly. This process is often quite complex.

Vertical Heterophoria Disrupts the Connection

When an individual suffers from vertical heterophoria, they can experience symptoms such as blurred vision and difficulty walking in a balanced way. This can be disconcerting because you lose your sense of orientation and balance. Vertical heterophoria affects the proper functioning of your vestibular system because of its effect on your vision. Symptoms such as blurred vision can be alarming.

The vestibular system consists of complex coordination of central and peripheral systems that help keep you balanced. This balance system uses sensory input from your eyes, muscles, joints and inner ear in order to maintain your balance and stable vision consistently.

The vestibular system can be divided into two main systems: the central system (the brain and brainstem) and the peripheral system (the inner ear and the pathways to the brainstem).

When vertical heterophoria occurs, you can experience symptoms such as blurred vision or double vision that can have an adverse effect on your balance and coordination.

Get Expert Help for Symptoms

It is imperative that if you experience symptoms such as blurred or double vision that you get a proper neurovisual exam that will check for small misalignments that cause vertical heterophoria. Custom aligning glasses are used to correct these small misalignments resulting in significant reduction in symptoms.

At the Neuro Visual Center of New York, we have specialized equipment to test for conditions such as VH and BVD. Dr. Cheryl Israeloff is specially trained to pinpoint eye conditions that can go undetected in a regular eye exam. Call us at (516) 224-4888 to schedule an appointment and get on the path to higher quality vision and standard of life. We look forward to hearing from you and improving your eyesight, balance and well-being!

Testimonials

Prior to being treated by Dr. Cheryl, I constantly felt off balance. I had suffered from frequent migraines since I was 12 years old. I often suffered from neck/ back pain, and always felt like I was straining my neck and/or tilting my head to focus on the computer. My family had always noticed that I walked a bit sideways as well, but they attributed that to me being "clumsy". I had awful anxiety about walking down flights of stairs or through the mall, as I always had this irrational fear of falling. I was diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder and depression, as I would tend to avoid social situations where I felt uncomfortable or not in control. At my annual eye exam, Dr. Cheryl asked how my migraines had been. I casually mentioned that I was having dizzy spells and felt off balance. As Dr. Cheryl went through a series of questions, it seemed like she was reading off a script of my symptoms. She started to explain binocular vision dysfunction and asked if I would consider a neuro visual test that may be able to determine if I was a candidate for the type of treatment she was involved in. I was skeptical, but desperate. The tests administered by Dr. Cheryl produced black and white, concrete results. I was blown away by how clear it was that this "visual vertigo" I was experiencing was not only completely legitimate, but treatable. My skepticism disappeared immediately when Dr. Cheryl had me wear a trial pair of glasses with prisms in them. I felt taller, grounded, and completely in control. My glasses have made a tremendous difference in my everyday life. I feel balanced and aware of my surroundings. I no longer catch myself tilting my head while reading through pages of documents on my computer, or tilting my head to get a better view of the TV. It is more than a change in my prescription or a "clearer view," it is an entire perspective change. I have not had a single migraine in 6 months - I am still in shock when I say those words. My dizzy spells have subsided, as well. When I am not wearing my glasses, which is rare, I can immediately feel the difference in my equilibrium. I would never have guessed that all of these symptoms and subsequent issues, were vision related. Dr. Cheryl was 100% supportive and genuinely concerned about my comfort and progress throughout this whole journey. I would, without hesitation, recommend her to anyone that suffers from these symptoms. She is a true life saver and is passionate about investing her time and energy into this growing field.

A. S.

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Vertical Heterophoria Disrupts the Connection

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