Do you suffer from frequent migraines? Did you first start experiencing migraines as a child as young as four or five years old? If you answered yes to either of these questions, you may have vertical heterophoria (VH), a condition that’s usually not picked up during a routine eye exam.
What Is Vertical Heterophoria?
Vertical heterophoria is a type of binocular vision disorder that occurs when the eyes aren’t properly aligned. If you’ve ever noticed when looking in the mirror that one of your eyes is slightly higher or lower than the other, you may have VH, as facial asymmetry is one of its causes.
Eye misalignment puts a great deal of stress and strain on the eye muscles, causing a variety of uncomfortable symptoms including dizziness and nausea. Unfortunately, because many VH symptoms coincide with those related to other medical issues, it’s often misdiagnosed as vertigo or a migraine disorder. As a result, many patients continue to suffer without improvement because they’re not receiving proper treatment.
What Are the Symptoms?
Common symptoms of VH include dizziness and intensely painful headaches that disappear for part of the day, then return full-force. It may also feel like your headache is spreading to the crown of your head (similar to the sensation you feel with sinus pain), along the temples and down to the back of your head. The pain can extend as far back as the shoulders and neck. Moving your eyes may also be painful.
Individuals with VH also frequently develop crippling anxiety, as they feel a sense of disorientation and an inability to perform daily tasks and go about usual day-to-day activities.
Get Diagnosed & Treated for VH
The aforementioned VH symptoms have led many patients to our practice here at the Neuro Visual Center of New York, where our doctors help diagnose and treat VH and other binocular vision disorders. Imagine how your life could change if you didn’t have to deal daily with intense headaches and migraines, along with other symptoms of VH. Instead of functioning at 50 percent, call (516) 224-4888 to speak with one of our team members and learn more about our treatment options.
Hello, I was wondering If you take patients from Canada. I live in Ontario but cannot seem to find a place that does the test for vertical heterophoria. I have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia as well as vertigo. I wear glasses already and all my symptoms fit
Yes we do have people who travel to us from Canada. Please take the questionnaire on the website to we can determine if you are indeed a good candidate for care.
Hi,
I am looking for a diagnosis and treatment center for vertical heterophoria in Europe ?
Could you please tell me if you know such?
Thanks in advance,
Iliyan Bogdanov
Hi Iliyan,
We only know of Dr. Jurgen Peschlow in Germany.
Hi, would you know of anyone in australia who specializes in this? Thanks
Please visit the Vision Specialists of Michigan website to find a doctor in your country. There was a doctor recently trained in Australia.
Did you find any one in Australia , I used the website suggested and was unable to locate any one in Australia
Dr. Andrew Taylor in Albany, Australia
Hi, I am having similar symptoms and couldnt drive in high ways for couple of years now. Do you know any specialist in Dallas area?
Please visit the Vision Specialist of Michigan website to find a doctor near you.