VH and SOP are both forms of Binocular Vision Dysfunction (BVD), which are conditions where one eye sees the image higher than the other eye. Sometimes one eye is physically higher than the other. Sometimes the eyes are aligned correctly but muscle or nerve abnormalities cause the problem.
The most common symptoms are headaches and dizziness. The headaches are usually in the front of the face or in the temples. The dizziness is described as a feeling of being disoriented, lightheaded or dizzy. Those who suffer from Vertical Heterophoria may also have other symptoms in addition to those of headaches and dizziness. These include:
- Pain symptoms such as face ache, eye pain or pain with eye movement (symptoms similar to sinus problems, migraines, TMJ problems); neck ache and upper back pain due to a head tilt (similar to spinal misalignment symptoms)
- Balance and coordination symptoms such as motion sickness, nausea, poor depth perception, unsteadiness while walking or drifting to one side while walking (“I’ve always been clumsy”), lack of coordination (symptoms are similar to those seen in patients with MS, sequela of a stroke, an inner ear disorder or Meniere’s Disease)
- Reading symptoms such as difficulty with concentration (symptoms are similar to those experienced with ADHD), difficulty with reading and comprehension, skipping lines while reading, losing one’s place while reading, words running together while reading (symptoms similar to those seen with a learning disability)
- Vision symptoms such as blurred vision, double or overlapping vision, shadowed vision (symptoms similar to those seen in patients with MS); light sensitivity, difficulty with glare or reflection
- Psychological symptoms such as feeling overwhelmed or anxious when in large contained spaces like malls or big box stores like Wal Mart, feeling overwhelmed or anxious in crowds or with driving (symptoms similar to those seen in patients with anxiety or agoraphobia).
