motion sickness

Many people will at some point experience some sort of motion sickness. Some may get sick and experience nausea while riding in a car. Others may have a difficult time going on spinning rides and roller coasters at the fair due to dizziness. If this feels familiar to you, we will further explain motion sickness as it relates to Binocular Vision Dysfunction (BVD).

If you are suffering from motion sickness, dizziness, and nausea, you do not have to go down a rabbit hole in search of a remedy to your problem. Take our 5 Minute Self Test to see if your motion sickness could be related to BVD. This could help you understand how your eyes may be causing the motion sickness that is affecting your life.

What Is BVD – Binocular Vision Dysfunction?

Even those who keep up with their eye exams do not know everything about their visual system and overall health of their eyes. If you have BVD, a simple eye examination might not be enough to confirm it. This condition happens due to the misalignment of your eyes, which can lead to various symptoms. Some of them include anxiety in large spaces, dizziness, motion sickness, light sensitivity, and headaches.

Some patients get a misdiagnosis of having vertigo, sinus headache, or a migraine disorder instead of BVD. When the muscles in your eyes are straining to correct the misalignment, you might experience various symptoms. In addition to motion sickness, these symptoms could include lightheadedness, dizziness, migraines, and disorientation. The intensity and frequency of these symptoms can vary. Some of the things that trigger the symptoms of motion sickness include:

• When you drive around curves.

• Huge spaces with high ceilings, such as airports, big box stores, libraries, malls, and supermarkets.

• When you are driving on a highway with cars speeding by on either side.

• Moving your head up and down or side to side.

• Riding in the passenger side of a car.

• Standing up quickly from a seated or bent position.

Binocular vision dysfunction, BVD, caused by the misalignment of the eyes, can be a serious eye condition. Due to the strain and stress on the eyes, many people with this condition experience the symptoms outlined above. When binocular vision dysfunction is the actual problem, dizziness and motion sickness are common symptoms. When you understand what BVD is, you will be able to seek the help you need to improve your vision and make your life easier.

Other Symptoms of BVD

​​​​​​​Since people suffering from BVD try to compensate for seeing from one eye better than from the other eye, light sensitivity and blurry vision can occur. Consequently, they experience dizziness and headaches as well. They also feel lightheaded and disoriented. In addition to these symptoms, they often have poor sleeping patterns, poor listening skills, and double vision. Other symptoms include difficulty in making eye contact, learning disability disorder, poor hand-eye coordination, and reading difficulties.

At The Dizziness and Headache Optometry Center, we care about your vision. Our goal is to have a positive impact on everyone we meet. If you’re experiencing issues with motion sickness and want to see if BVD is potentially causing your symptoms, take our self-test here. To schedule an appointment or learn more about our services, call us at (805) 626-3400.
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