Vision and Stomach Problems
“My Eyes Were Bigger Than My Stomach!”
Are your eyes actually connected to your stomach?
Vision and Binocular Vision Dysfunction
If your child is noticeably more clumsy than other children, it could be more than just an awkward phase.
If your child is always in the nurse’s office at school, it could be more than wanting to get out of class.
Your child could have binocular vision dysfunction.
Binocular vision dysfunction (BVD) results from a misalignment of the eyes that is often unnoticeable just by looking at someone. Many parents are unaware of BVD and don’t realize that when their child is exhibiting clumsiness or motion sickness, that these can be symptoms of BVD.
BVD affects approximately 20% of U.S. individuals. It can make it extremely difficult for your eyes to send a clear image to the brain.
In simple terms, people with BVD display two separate images in their head as opposed to their eyes combining to form one image in their head. This causes the eye aligning muscles to work extra hard to realign the eyes to form one image. It ends up being a temporary fix, creating a constant cycle of alignment and misalignment, resulting in nausea or dizziness.
BVD can make tasks such as driving, socializing, and going to school difficult. Other common symptoms include:
- face, eye, neck, and upper back pain
- clumsiness
- short attention span
- feelings of anxiety or easily overwhelmed
If you or your child is experiencing any of the listed symptoms, they may have a vision problem! You can also try the Quality of Life Quiz to see how much your vision may be impacting your life. Connect with us at Brighter Outlook Vision to see how we can help. We work with children and adults facing this same issue who have successfully resolved it.
“Arianna’s seen noticeable differences in headaches, nausea, dizziness, and vision overall since beginning vision therapy. We cannot thank Dr. Jesse enough- he saved us! We were tossed around to eye doctors that were trying to band-aid the issue and not getting to the problem.”
Vision and Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Most symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are related to digestion and the abdomen, however, it can affect your eyesight. Autoimmune conditions attack the tear glands, the eye surface, or even the interior of the eye. Since inflammatory bowel disease is an immune system disorder, dry eye can develop as a secondary disorder. The common treatment for IBD is corticosteroids, which themselves can cause problems with your vision.
Dry eye disease is a common effect of inflammatory bowel disease that most people are unaware of. In addition to dry eyes, light sensitivity and painful red eyes are also impacted. It has been found that 4/10 people with IBD have eye problems.
Other eye conditions associated with IBD:
- Conjunctivitis: also known as pink eye – is caused by inflammation of the conjunctiva
- Marginal keratitis: inflammation of the cornea – can cause blurry vision
- Retinitis: inflammation of the retina – if untreated can cause blindness
- Orbital inflammatory disease: inflammation of tissues surrounding the eyes
- Episcleritis and scleritis: inflammation of blood vessels between sclera and conjunctiva – causes eye to appear red, if it becomes severe enough vision can be damaged
- Keratopathy: corneal disease – causes sensation of having something in your eye
- Optic neuritis: inflammation of optic nerve – causes temporary vision loss in one eye at a time
- Anterior uveitis: inflammation of interior structures of the eye – if severe, can lead to vision loss
- Retinal vascular occlusive disease: blockage of the veins in the retina – causes damage that leads to blindness
In a small study, it was found that people with IBS produced fewer and less quality tears. Eye issues can be related to irritable bowel syndrome, but it is more likely to be associated with inflammatory bowel disease.
If you have irritable bowel disease, it is important to check in with your doctor to assess any eye issues. Due to the overall inflammation, you are at increased risk of certain eye issues. If you feel like your vision causes stress that worsens symptoms of your IBD, consider a functional vision exam to see if treatment for Binocular Vision Dysfunction can help improve your overall quality of life!
