One of my favorite quotes from a patient I’ve helped is “I feel normal!” When I first heard this, I wondered what she meant. What is normal? Normal may feel different to me than to someone else. Sometimes discomfort becomes our normal because we don’t know any other way. We just deal with it and move on, perhaps even thinking that this is the way everybody feels. That is not the case, however. Nobody should have to learn to live with unexplained symptoms that are causing them pain or discomfort.
A Different Kind of Normal
This particular young woman had never felt steady on her feet. She described it as feeling “swimmy.” For many years she had searched for answers, but all her doctors told her that she was fine. Eventually, she just accepted that the swimmy feeling was her “normal.” She thought she would just have to live with it. But, as fate would have it, she came to me right after I finished up my training with Dr. Debby.
Recognizing Vertical Heterophoria
In this person’s case, she had a clear case of vertical heterophoria, a binocular vision dysfunction that occurs when the eyes are misaligned. As the brain fights to correct this misalignment, the eye muscles end up strained and overused, which is what was causing the patient to feel off-balance and unsteady on her feet. Other symptoms of VH can include:
- Car or motion sickness
- Nausea
- Headaches and dizziness brought on by sudden movements or riding in a car
Fortunately, due to my training with Dr. Debby, I was able to determine the source of her problem and prescribe the appropriate eye strain treatment. As soon as she got her aligning lenses, she shouted out, “Now I feel normal!” The swimmy feeling was gone. Her whole family calls me the Vision Goddess now!
If you’re experiencing unexplained symptoms like those of this young lady, you don’t have to just give in and learn to live with it. Instead, come see a specialist at the Neuro Visual Center of New York to get tested for a possible binocular visual disorder. Give us a call at (516) 224-4888 to schedule your testing today!
