I know there was a topic about this before 7 years ago, but let me ask the question again.
For those of you who have problems with screens, and get dizzy and nauseated or get a headache, did you get a test for convergence insufficiency (CI)?
Or let me ask it the other way – since a CI test is not perfect – if you do have these symptoms do you also happen to have symptoms when looking at things close to your nose? Say for example texting from your phone in bed holding the phone close?
I am asking this because I have major CI and I have major problems with close screens but also problems with screens from far. This has pushed me out of work now for 2 years. I was told that CI can cause all that. So I would be interested to know if someone is sure not to have CI and yet has the above problems.
And a small detail, I did have a concussion before all this started. But my symptoms really hit 2 months later after a long flight during which I watched several movies on the plane. While I have some typical post-concussion syndrome symptoms, some of my symptoms have not been seen in concussion patients as far as I know.
For example, if I were to watch a movie on a close screen, assuming I don’t get symptoms minutes later, I might get symptoms the very next day and will feel like crap for 2 weeks. It sounds to me that this is common in MAV?
My symptoms are mainly dizziness (more so than vertigo), nausea, headaches. Obviously: sensitivity to screen and sounds.
Hi
Wow! Now, That’s a big ask.
Still trying to work out exactly where you are coming from with this one. Guess you are trying to establish if yr CI is causing yr MAV? You do hv MAV diagnosis, yes?
I’ve had MAV for yrs and would be interested to know that too so if you ever do find out … i’m no medic but I hv eye issues and MAV. You name ‘em and I’ve seen ‘em and am none the wiser. I’d don’t hv CI, it’s other issues with me.
Eyes and vestibular system are so closely linked they do affect one another. Symptoms overlap between MAV and CI quite a bit. Assume you have prisms in yr specs to help? You hv seen specialist? In UK CI tests isn’t normal part of MAV testing as far as I know.
From what I have read the trouble with things up close sounds like close CI and the distant, far CI. Sounds like typical CI that to me, not MAV. I hv MAV, don’t hv CI (that’s a definite) and don’t suffer either of these symptoms. Hv you had yr 3D vision tested at eye specialist hospital yet?
If you are trying to ‘untie’ the two, MAV and CI, could prove difficult. Looking at onset timings might help. Concussion can cause MAV. I’ve heard of one case where severe MAV resulted in appearance of CI. Binocular Vision Disfunction (see elsewhere on this forum or the web) can produce MAV ~like symptoms.
It’s common with MAV triggers that there’s a time delay. I’ve often exp. a delay of 36 hours between known trigger and attack. Triggers can also be cumulative so difficult to establish.
If you took migraine preventatives for a period and it effectively controlled the MAV the theory is all the MAV symptoms should disappear which should theoretically leave you with any that come from the CI.
Just to be clear, I am not suggesting at all that CI causes MAV.
In fact a lot of people have CI and don’t have major issues other than eye fatigue.
What I am trying to find out is whether the subset of MAV population that happens to be very sensitive to screens, moving objects, and close reading have also CI. It is possible that MAV caused this CI, and there is a paper about that.
To test this theory I am asking people who have problems with screen and close reading whether they also have CI. From your response you say you do not have CI but have many other eye issues (very sorry to hear about that), so this does not validate nor invalidate my theory. Since it is an eye issue too in your case.
Why is this question important? CI is easily treatable for 80% of people without drugs. Just PT.
How to find out if you have CI? An optometrist can help BUT be aware that you might be able converge to your nose and the optometrist would say you have no CI. This is NOT true. CI means you are very bothered, get symptoms when you converge close. Even if you are able to do it, it triggers symptoms.
So in short what I am saying in the last Para: If you do feel uncomfortable doing pencil pushups or read up close, then most likely you have CI or intolerance to convergence. The vergence system is very important for a good vestibular system, and it can be treated for most. In my case unfortunately the situation is much more complicated.