5 Common Signs and Symptoms of Vertical Heterophoria

Did you know that vertical heterophoria is often misdiagnosed? Vertical heterophoria is a binocular vision disorder where your eyes are vertically misaligned. It is a serious condition that causes severe symptoms if not treated. 

Vertical heterophoria significantly affects the lives of those with it, making it difficult to carry on with their daily activities. It can radically affect your ability to drive and walk on the street. The symptoms can even make it dangerous to go outside.

What Is Vertical Heterophoria?

The vertical misalignment of the eyes caused by vertical heterophoria causes various symptoms. The misalignment of the eyes causes a significant difference in the visual information sent to the brain from the eyes. 

It forces the eyes to make constant corrections to see clearly. The constant adjustment of the eyes causes strain on the eyes, resulting in symptoms like migraines, headaches, and eyestrain.

What Causes Vertical Heterophoria?

Usually, vertical heterophoria is a genetic condition that you have when you are born. The brain is well primed to adjust to visual shortcomings. Because of the brain's ability, it takes long before the symptoms and effects of vertical heterophoria surface. Sometimes, it takes a severe event such as a concussion to exacerbate the symptoms.

What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Vertical Heterophoria?

• Words Shifting on the Page

Vertical heterophoria makes it very difficult to read because the words and letters on the pages of books appear to move or shimmer. If you have a job requiring you to spend a lot of time reading different material, you may be unable to work. Young children with vertical heterophoria may find it hard to describe what they are experiencing. Most times, they may believe that that's how all people see.

• Balance Issues

Vertical heterophoria has also been known to disrupt the body's vestibular system. It affects your ability to balance, making some movements very difficult to execute. You will also find that patients with this condition have more incidences of falling. Activities like stepping on a different level of the ground like a stair or stepping off the curb can become hard.

• Dizziness When Driving

Vertical heterophoria can make driving very dangerous for patients because it can cause them to experience dizzy spells. The spells can happen when they go around a corner or when cars drive past them. They may feel that the vehicle is moving in reverse when they are not. 

The disorientation they experience is debilitating and can cause an accident. If you have ever experienced this when driving, you should get a binocular vision test immediately. It would be best if you did not drive until you get treatment for the condition.

• Severe Migraines

It is common for people to have a headache occasionally, but migraines are a whole different thing. Migraines make you very sensitive to light and sound, making the pain and pressure in your head more intense. 

The migraines that patients with this condition have make working or social life impossible. The location of the migraine is usually in the eyes, forehead, sinuses, back of the head, neck, and temples.

For more signs and symptoms of vertical heterophoria, call Ocean Park Optometry at (310) 452-1039 to reach our office in Santa Monica, California.