If you or anyone you know has ever suffered from migraines, you know how debilitating they can be. When a migraine “hits,” not only can it ruin a perfectly good day, but it can also be very painful, causing throbbing pain, nausea and sensitivity to light and sound. Migraines may last hours or continue on for days. If you experience chronic or regular migraines that interfere with your day-to-day activities, including work or school, it may be time for a functional vision evaluation at Vision For Life.
Did you know that there are eye conditions that may be contributing to your migraines? The best way to determine if you or a loved one’s migraines are caused by a vision condition is to have an evaluation done by a developmental optometrist trained in vision therapy. There are binocular vision conditions, like the ones listed below, that may be contributing to your migraines.
Strabismus
Strabismus is a condition in which the eyes do not line up with one another. Eyes may appear cross-eyed or walleyed. Not only is a person’s outward appearance affected, but it will also affect how that person sees the world around him/her. This lack of control in eye movement makes it difficult to keep normal ocular alignment, and can also cause symptoms of headaches, migraines, double-vision and poor depth-perception.
Amblyopia
Amblyopia may also be diagnosed when vision in one eye is reduced due to the eye and the brain not working in unison. This condition affects about 3 percent of the population, and often people don’t even know they have it! Symptoms of amblyopia include lack of depth perception, difficulty seeing or reading, wandering eye, migraines and headaches. Having a condition that affects your vision can be the reason you are suffering from migraines, making daily tasks more difficult and taking away your liveliness.
Convergence Insufficiency (CI)
Another common binocular vision disorder that may be contributing to your migraines is convergence insufficiency (CI). This disorder causes a variety of symptoms like eyestrain, blurred vision, double vision, migraines and headaches. When a patient has convergence insufficiency, it means their eyes are not coming together closely enough when looking at a near object. Instead, the eyes are essentially looking beyond the focal point. It’s also not that unusual for a person with convergence insufficiency to cover or close one eye when reading to relieve any blurred or double vision.
If you are suffering from headaches or migraines and have been diagnosed with a binocular vision condition, there are successful vision therapies to get you back on track! Eyeglasses and surgery are not permanent solutions, but a program of vision therapy can help to improve eye coordination, reduce symptoms and alleviate migraine discomfort. At Vision For Life, we use specialized, cutting-edge computer and optical devices (therapeutic lenses, prisms, filters) along with Syntonics therapy, to lessen symptoms. Unique, customized therapies are used, depending on the patient’s symptoms. Visit our Service page of our website to learn about the many therapies available at https://visionforlifeworks.com/our-services/.
At Vision For Life, your health and well-being are important to us. By making an appointment with us for a functional vision evaluation, you are taking an important step first step in seeing clearly again and easing symptoms associated with a binocular vision condition. Tired of having recurring migraines and dull headaches? Vision For Life can help. Give us a call now at 618-288-1489.