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Recognizing the Signs of BVD in Children

Childhood is a period of learning and growing, a time in which children become more familiar with their bodies and capabilities. Along with this discovery process comes a good amount of clumsiness and awkwardness as children learn to navigate their surroundings. If your child seems more klutzy than other children, however, or starts displaying other concerning symptoms such as dizziness and nausea, headaches or learning difficulties, they may be going through more than an awkward phase. They could have Binocular Vision Dysfunction (BVD).

What Is BVD?

Binocular Vision Dysfunction is a condition that results from a very small misalignment of the eyes. Because it’s still unfamiliar, many parents often don’t recognize the signs and symptoms of BVD for what they are. Many have never even heard of the condition, and thus don’t realize that when their clumsy child frequently experiences motion sickness or bumps into walls and doorways, they’re exhibiting some of the warning signs of BVD. Your child may be struggling with this condition if they regularly display any of the following symptoms:

Physical:

• Sore, achy eyes that hurt all the time or just when moving

• Headaches, migraines or facial pain

• Upset stomach and nausea

Visual:

• Experiencing blurred vision or eye fatigue when looking at the chalkboard, reading or working on a computer

• Needing to close or cover one eye to see more clearly

• Light sensitivity

• Frequently losing their spot or skipping lines when reading

• Shadowed or double vision

Learning:

• Verbal skills that far surpass reading skills

• Neurobehavioral issues such as ADHD or ADD

• Problems with reading comprehension

• Learning disabilities such as dyslexia

Poor Coordination:

• Demonstrating general clumsiness

• Frequently bumping into other people, walls and furniture

• Trouble catching moving objects such as frisbees and balls

Problems with Motion:

• Car sickness

• Motion sickness or nausea on moving play equipment

• Problems reading in the car

Social:

• Often playing alone or in small groups

• Feeling anxious and being overly clingy with parents, particularly in crowds

• Displaying nervousness

With so many symptoms that can overlap with other conditions, it’s easy to understand why BVD is often misdiagnosed. Fortunately, the doctors at Vision Specialists of Michigan have the specialized training, equipment and experience to test for this and other binocular vision conditions and determine if your child’s issues are being caused by BVD. If this turns out to be the case, the treatment method is as simple as prescribing a pair of glasses with aligning micro-prism lenses. If you think your child may have BVD, give us a call today at (248) 258-9000 or fill out our BVD questionnaire.