If you’ve ever been to the doctor seeking treatment for dizziness, your doctor probably examined your ears. He or she may have also asked you if you struggle with anxiety. After your ears turned out to be perfectly healthy and you explained you weren’t feeling any more anxious than usual, the doctor may have simply shrugged and written you a prescription for something that offered temporary relief—but turned out not to provide a lasting solution.
While inner ear problems and anxiety disorders can result in dizziness, there is another common cause of dizziness that many doctors tend to miss: vertical heterophoria. This is a visual health condition caused by eye muscle strain, which can result in a range of symptoms including dizziness. If vertical heterophoria is the root cause of your dizziness, you may find that your symptoms are worse when you spend time in large, open spaces, or when you look at a busy pattern.
In today’s post, we examine the link between dizziness and vertical heterophoria, and explain how our state-of-the-art treatment can improve your quality of life.
What Is Vertical Heterophoria?
Vertical heterophoria is an eye condition resulting from a vertical misalignment in your eyes. If your eyes are even slightly misaligned, an object may appear slightly higher in one eye than it does in the other, causing you to see double images rather than one clear picture. Because the brain rejects double vision, it forces your ocular muscles to correct the misalignment. Over time, these tiny muscles will become strained and fatigued from all the extra work, resulting in the symptoms of vertical heterophoria.
Symptoms of vertical heterophoria include:
- Headaches
- Dizziness, especially in large, crowded spaces
- Vertigo
- Anxiety
- Trouble concentrating
- Difficulty reading
- Nausea
- Light sensitivity
- Trouble reading
How Vertical Heterophoria Causes Dizziness
Imagine being in a large, open, crowded space full of stimuli. Your eyes are moving around constantly, up and down, from side to side, taking in everything around you. For most people, this is an effortless process, as easy as breathing. It’s something you’re barely even aware of doing.
If you have vertical heterophoria, however, being in this situation puts enormous strain on your ocular muscles, triggering symptoms like dizziness. The same thing happens when you look at an image with a complex pattern. Your eyes are moving rapidly through the pattern, taking it all in—which strains your already-fatigued ocular muscles, prompting another dizzy spell.
The reason most medical practitioners, including most visual health specialists, fail to detect vertical heterophoria is that they lack the necessary equipment and training. At the Neuro Visual Center of New York, we can perform a highly specialized exam using our state-of-the-art equipment to check for the miniscule misalignments in your eyes characteristic of this condition.
We treat this disorder with aligning prismatic lenses which correct the misalignment in your eyes, thus removing the burden from your eye muscles. Patients who have undergone our treatment have seen their symptoms drastically reduced or even completely eliminated.
Put an end to your dizziness. Call the Neuro Visual Center of New York today at (516) 224-4888 to schedule an appointment.
I live in the midwest in summers and Florida in winters. Any suggestions as to health care providers that could assist me with testing and perhaps and end to my symptoms? Feeling of imbalance especially crossing an entry way or in open spaces, ie) parking lot etc.
Please contact Dr. Erin Sonneberg in Boyton Beach Florida.
I wear glasses & have bifocals. In the past year I’ve had a problem with looking at busy patterns it makes me feel like I’m in a room with a strobe light on. Just trying to figure out a solution
Hi Lisa, See if covering one eye helps. If it does, you have Binocular vision dysfunction.
Hello i live in vt & work alot..but ive been experiencing constant nausea ,headaches(i live on zofran (anti nausea
Med)&hav been 4 quite sometime..).i have struggled my whole life with light sensitivity&motion sickness. also-Im constantly running into walls and other solid objects too.idk if what ur describing is my issue but i def can relate to ALL the symptoms.my vision is great other than the light sensitivity.idk if this matters but ive had bacterial meningitis 2xs in my life..
The meningitis could have affected how your visual system compensates. This could make the symptoms of an underlying binocular vision problem worse.
All the best
The Neuro Visual Center
Can you please recommend someone in the Atlanta, Georgia area that can test me for this condition.
I have been experiencing several of the symptoms described above for years.
Hi Kate,
We do not have a colleague in Georgia. Please visit the Vision Specialist of Michigan website to find a doctor closest to you.
All the best,
The Neuro Visual Center
I’ve been struggling with balance and dizziness issues for a year now, tons of doctors including my eye doc have found nothing but that my vestibular system could have been damaged from a virus, I’m feeling so defeated and want to be better and have tried so hard to recognize triggers, busy patterns have always made it worse, and again this morning I noticed I got extremely off balance in a wide open area…. I once was diagnosed with convergence insufficiency but last eye appointment they didn’t see it. I’m starting to feel it is something with my eyes but don’t know how to get a diagnosis from my eye doctor. Any recommendations in Colorado?
Please visit the Vision Specialists of Michigan website to find a doctor closest to you.
Hi Kristen. I’m also struggling with that and relate very much to you based on what you wrote here… I’ve been going to my PCP and my blood work shows up normal. Not sure what could be the cause to this balance issue I’m feeling. Next up, I have a otolaryngology appointment along with a neurology appointment. I’m really hoping someone can give me an answer. I felt this dizziness five years ago and it lasted me three months. Now, it’s back and it’s been six weeks so far or feeling like this.
Hi Maite,
What you’re describing is exactly what I’m going through now. About 6 years ago I couldn’t work for almost 3 months due to dizziness, nausea and severe headaches. I did see doctors but nothing was helpful but the issue seemed to resolve on its own. Now I’m having the same issue accompanied with loss of balance and tinnitus for over a month. ENT says my ears are fine and chalked it up to TMJ even though I’ve never experienced jaw pain or any issues with my jaw before. I’m getting a second opinion next week. Were you able to find an answer? I hope you’re doing better and thank you for sharing your experience – I’m glad to hear I’m not alone. Wishing you all the best.
Is this related to ehlers danlos, rheumatoid arthritis, sjorgens syndrome, glaucoma, high inner occular pressure or odd shaped almond ish eyes? I also have ptosis that comes & goes in one eyelid..curios as I get dizzy and feel sick if I look at zigzag pattern.
We do have a lot of patients with Ehlers Danlos. Your other ocular problem are not typically related to binocular vision dysfunction.
All the best
The Neuro Visual Center
I have been struggling with dizziness, lightheadedness, mild vertigo, ocular migraines (31 in last 12 months), feeling unsteady when I walk, tinnitus for 1.5 years now. This started with severe vertigo which was a first for me. The Epley maneuver cured it but the other symptoms did not go away and I am diagnosed with endolymphatic hydrops. These symptoms are worse when I am in a large room with many other people. I have never had anxiety with crowds and still do not feel that I do. I am so tired of trying to figure out what is wrong and what I can do to make it better – there really seems to be no rhyme or reason for how I feel day to day or even hour to hour. The doctors I have seen are focused on my vestibular system being the problem but I am now wondering if it is my eyes. I had cataract surgery in 2012 with corrective lens implants at the age of 57, but have never any problem with them. If you have any help or suggestions for me I would be very grateful.
Hi Kathleen,
Please look on our website and take the 5 minute cover test. See if your symptoms improve.
I dont know if it’s just me but I will walk into a room that I’ve never been in before and smell it I become dizzy for 6 seconds and I don’t know if i to s just because it’s a new smell or something is wrong with me and I’ve been trying to do research on this I and I’m not finding anything
I am not sorry but we are not familiar with this symptom.
You may look up information on Vestibular Migraines. They do not cause headaches but can have symptoms similar to this. A couple of books are Victory over Vestibular Migraines by dr. Shin Beh, Heal You Headache by Dr. William Buchholz, and a blog and book called The Dizzy Cook.
Yes we are very familiar with vestibular migraine and have read both of those books. We recommend the HYH diet to many of our patients.
All the best
Hi I’m struggling with weird visual disturbances .
When I look at a plaid pattern it seems to wiggle .
My near sighht and far are blurry .
I experience eye headaches , migraines more often , extreame high anxiety issues.
I was in a store lately and I felt very faint all of a sudden . It scared me a lot . I think it could be my eyes. I’ve had anxiety out of no where for years. Panic attacks. I’m
Wondering if my eyes are the reason for this now?
Please let me k no w . Is there a doctor to see for this near me . I’m in Philadelphia area .
Please visit the Vision Specialist of Michigan website to find the closest doctor to you.
Hi Dr Cheryl berger Israeloff .
I have some weird symptoms.
1 I feel very unsteady while walking in open field.
2 I feel DIZZY WHILE SITTING UNDER TALL CEILING
3 I FEEL DIZZY WHILE USING ELEVATOR
4 WHEN I STOPPED AT TRAFFIC LIGHT I FEEL LIKE MY CAR IS STILL MOVING
5 I FEEL VERY OVERWHELMED IN SHOPPING MALL
6 I FEEL VERY ANXIOUS WHILE LOOKING AT TALL BUILDING
7 I feel DIZZY WHILE driving
Please visit our website and fill out the questionnaire. https://www.nvcofny.com/
I have these strange visual disturbances while in low ceiling places like a parking gageage but also big box stores. Also patterns Abd certain colors of bright blue with red in them. I get pain in my eyes and sometimes it travels to my chest. I don’t really get dizzy anymore, though. My eyes are perfectly fine from an ophthalmologist and neuro ophthalmologist. I have all symptoms described but I don’t get dizzy, just very uncomfortable and then get headaches. Can your help?
Hi Sharon,
Please go to our website and take the questionnaire. Someone from our staff will contact you with the results to see if you are a good candidate for our care.
https://www.nvcofny.com/
Hi there,
I have similar symptoms. Is there any doctor in Redmond, Bellevue or Seattle region?
Please visit the Vision Specialist of Michigan website to find a doctor closest to you.
I’m worried that when I see stripes and lines they appear as I’d they are moving and sometimes text on my phone also. What could this be ?
This could be a number of visual problems. Please contact your doctor.
Hey, I’ve been struggling with daily headaches and migranes for 4 years now. Everytime I go to the gp about this, they brush it off and say I should just drink more water. I do drink a lot of water. Anyways whenever I got costco I get really light headed from looking at the items. Looking at things like the pavements pattern to prints on a shirt make my really light headed and sometimes provoke a migrane. I went to the eye doctor in the past about my migranes in the past but they said I was fine. What should I do?
Visit the Vision Specialist of Michigan website to find a doctor closest to you that specializes in visual problems of the dizzy patient.
All the best.
Hello I hope you can help, I was once a Meth User and Got a Minor OD a few years back and I have been clean for many years. but since that day My brain never functioned the same… I cannot even chill and talk to people because It really gets too much and I start being Uncomfortable and sometimes I get dizzy or Anxiety(panic) Just hits me so hard that I wanna get out because it feels like My brain cant handle or process everything that is going on. Now I prefer being alone because that is the only time I feel normal. Please help If you have seen this condition or know someone that has went through This, I have went to See doctors but they gave me some pills that just gets me so high I’m unable to do anything. I was once sent to a Psychiatric hospital and they also could not help… I just got a promotion at work and I ned to find a way to get rid of this or find a way to make it work.
Thank You.
Hi Ben,
Please visit our website and take the questionnaire.
https://www.nvcofny.com
All the best
The Neuro Visual Center
Do you have any recommendations for someone in Virginia I could see? This explanation sounds like exactly what may be my issue.
Please visit the Vision Specialist of Michigan website to find a doctor closest to you.
All the best.