Is it ADHD or BVD?

Many people have heard of ADHD. The acronym stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder – a neurological condition that affects people’s behavior. People who have ADHD may seem restless, impulsive and or hyperactive. It can be hard for them to focus their attention on a single task or sit still for a long period of time. ADHD affects both males and females, adults and children. Many of the key characteristics of ADHD overlap with other medical conditions. Not only can this make ADHD harder to diagnose, but it can also lead to people sometimes being misdiagnosed.

Another common disorder which can be mistaken for ADHD is Binocular Vision Dysfunction, or BVD for short.

What is BVD?

Binocular Vision Dysfunction is estimated to affect as many as 50% of people who are diagnosed with ADHD. Sometimes it occurs in tandem with the condition, while in others, ADHD is misdiagnosed. BVD occurs when there is either a horizontal or vertical misalignment of the eyes, meaning that they don’t synchronize and work properly with one another. The muscles around the eyes try to overcompensate for this lack of synchronicity and correct the problem to give you single focus, but this causes a great deal of strain. It’s the strain of this correction that causes the symptoms of BVD.

Some of the symptoms that ADHD and BVD have in common include:

• Trouble concentrating

• Anxiety

• Reading slowly and losing place when reading

• Difficulty understanding what has been read (reading comprehension)

• Emotional/mood swings

• Trying to avoid tasks that require extended focus, which may result in acting out

In addition to the symptoms listed above, patients with BVD may also experience more effects of the condition, including:

• Dizziness, particularly when entering tall or large spaces

• Nausea

• Motion sickness

• Problems with poor balance and coordination

• Disorientation, and difficulty finding their way around places that they know well

• Blurred vision

• Problems with driving

• Headaches and migraines

• Neck and shoulder strain, often caused by tilting their head to one side when focusing

If you experience symptoms in both the first and second list, it is likely that you could be suffering from Binocular Vision Dysfunction and we would advise you to take our 5 minute self test or speak to our team who are knowledgeable and experienced in diagnosing and treating BVD.

Treating BVD

Diagnosing BVD involves a combination of finding out information about the symptoms you are experiencing and a specialized, comprehensive eye exam. Once we have confirmed your diagnosis, we will be able to start your treatment. The best way to counteract the effects of BVD is to wear prism eyeglasses. These are glasses with lenses that contain small amounts of microprism. This prism bends the light entering the eyes so that it compensates for the misalignment, reducing the strain and therefore, your symptoms. The amount of prism differs for each patient and may need to be adjusted multiple times in order to achieve the maximum improvement.

If you are concerned about potential misdiagnosis of ADHD, or if you are experiencing any of the symptoms listed here and would like to find out more about BVD assessment, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with our dedicated team by calling (805) 626-3400 or take our 5 minute self test!

Take 5 Minute Self Test