Vertigo is a fairly common problem that is characterized by a range of different symptoms. However, the predominant sign of vertigo is a feeling like everything around you is spinning or off-balance. Many people think that vertigo is a condition in its own right, but it is actually often a symptom rather than an actual health problem. In most cases, it will resolve itself, but if it doesn’t, it could be a sign of a more significant issue, including Binocular Vision Dysfunction or BVD for short.
A vertigo attack often seems to appear out of nowhere. However, it most often occurs when there is a sudden change of visual stimuli, like when driving. When either driving or being a passenger in a car, the speed at which objects pass you is much faster than usual. This requires your visual processing speed to increase, which in turn could trigger the onset of an episode of vertigo.
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Symptoms of vertigo
Some of the most common signs of vertigo include feeling as though you are:
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Spinning
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Tilting
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Falling
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Swaying
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Pulled in one direction
You may also experience:
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Feelings of nausea
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Vomiting
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Headache/migraine
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Sweating
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Ringing in the ears
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Hearing loss
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Abnormal or jerking eye movements (known as nystagmus)
An episode of vertigo can last anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours. The severity of vertigo can also vary between episodes.
When is vertigo actually binocular vision dysfunction?
Sudden episodes of dizziness are also one of the most prevalent symptoms of another condition – binocular vision dysfunction. BVD is a surprisingly common eye problem that is caused by eye misalignment problems with the ways that the eyes work in conjunction with one another.
In an ideal world, both of our eyes would work in perfect synchronicity to create a single, clear image that we can see with absolute clarity. However, the reality is that many people suffer from an infinitesimal misalignment of the eyes. It isn’t enough to be able to tell just by looking at the position of your eyes, but when you try to look at something, your eyes are unable to pull two separate images into one single, clear one. Instead, you may experience visual issues such as migraines, headaches, and of course, dizziness that could easily be misconstrued as vertigo.
To try and compensate, the brain tries to force the muscles around the eyes to align them properly, putting them under more strain than usual. However, the successful realignment is only temporary, before the eyes fall back into misalignment, requiring the cycle to begin again. The continued strain and stress on the eyes cause the many symptoms that are associated with BVD including headaches, dizziness, eye fatigue, blurred vision, and more.
If you are regularly experiencing what seems like vertigo while driving, you could actually be suffering from BVD and not realize it. Take our simple BVD 5 minute self test on our website or contact our knowledgeable team at The Dizziness and Headache Optometry Center in Santa Barbara, California at (805) 626- 3400 today to schedule an appointment and learn more today.
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