Vision Effects of Vertigo

Vertigo is the sensation of movement, usually spinning, of a person or surroundings when he is not moving. These feelings can be constant or episodic, lasting only moments to hours. Vertigo lasting longer than a few moments can be caused by a variety of conditions, including inflammation of the inner ear, decreased blood flow to the base of the brain, Multiple Sclerosis, head trauma or migraines. Nausea may also accompany vertigo as well as visual impairment. If vision problems persist, medical assistance should be sought immediately.

Tunnel Vision

• Just as the name implies, a person can only see what is in front of her line of sight. This symptom indicates a loss of peripheral (side or edge) vision in either one or both eyes. If a person has tunnel vision, he will also have difficulty seeing in dim light and have a decreased ability to move around freely with the constrained line of vision.

Double Vision

• Diplopia, also known as double vision, occurs when a person’s eyes are misaligned and aiming at two different targets. The brain will accept both images, overlaying them which results in double vision. This can be dangerous as the brain will ignore one of the eye’s targets, resulting in the loss of depth perception.

Blurred Vision

• Blurred vision is the lack of sharpness and clarity of sight. Further, a person cannot see fine detail either at close or distant range. This problem can affect either one or both eyes. Sometimes small blind spots, known as Sotoma, will appear in a person’s eyesight while she is experiencing blurred vision.