{"id":14057,"date":"2021-06-16T07:00:51","date_gmt":"2021-06-16T07:00:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/?page_id=14057"},"modified":"2022-03-01T08:31:58","modified_gmt":"2022-03-01T08:31:58","slug":"bvd-can-cause-anxiety","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-binocular-visual-dysfunction\/bvd-symptoms-and-treatment\/bvd-can-cause-anxiety\/","title":{"rendered":"BVD Can Cause Anxiety"},"content":{"rendered":"

Anxiety disorders affect millions of people each year. But did you know that certain vision problems can actually trigger anxiety?<\/b><\/h2>\n

Binocular vision dysfunction (BVD)<\/a>, a common eye condition that can trigger anxiety and panic attacks.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

With your binocular vision, you are able to see a single, clear image\u2014 despite having two eyes. When looking at any object, each eye sends visual input to the brain\u2014 so the brain essentially receives two different pictures.<\/p>\n

The visual cortex, the part of the brain that processes vision, then fuses these two images into one clear image.<\/p>\n

When the eyes are misaligned, the brain struggles to fuse the two images together. This results in a condition called <\/b>binocular vision dysfunction <\/i><\/b>(BVD).<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

Binocular vision dysfunction often leads to significant eye strain and a host of uncomfortable symptoms, including:<\/p>\n