Most people assume dizziness and vertigo always start in the inner ear. While the vestibular system plays a significant role in balance, it does not work alone. Your eyes and brain work together with your inner ear to keep you steady. When these systems don’t align, your body receives mixed signals, and the world can feel like it’s tilting, spinning, or moving.
Dizziness is one of the most common reasons people seek medical care, yet many leave appointments without answers. ENT exams, MRIs, or balance tests may come back “normal,” leaving patients frustrated. What’s often missing? A functional vision evaluation that looks beyond 20/20 eyesight and measures how the eyes move, team, and coordinate with the vestibular system.
The Link Between Vision and Dizziness
When patients in Spokane visit their doctor for dizziness, they’re often referred to an ENT or neurologist. But traditional testing may not include an evaluation of the functional visual system. Even patients with perfect clarity on the eye chart can struggle if their eyes don’t work well together.
That’s because balance depends on more than seeing clearly. Your brain needs stable, consistent information from your eyes. If one eye lags, struggles to converge, or doesn’t track properly, the inner ear can’t reconcile the conflicting signals. The result? Motion sensitivity, vertigo, and sometimes migraines.
At Advanced Eyecare & Therapies, we’ve seen this first-hand. One Spokane patient struggled with migraines and dizziness for years before discovering that vision therapy was the missing piece. Through specialized testing, Dr. Todd Wylie uncovered binocular vision issues that had been overlooked in past exams. Their recovery story, which we shared here, shows how addressing visual-vestibular conflicts can restore balance when other treatments fall short.
How the Eyes and Inner Ear Work Together
To stay balanced, your body relies on three systems:
- Vestibular system (inner ear): Senses head position and motion
- Visual system (eyes and brain): Provides environmental reference points
- Proprioception: Feedback from muscles and joints about body position
A key part of this partnership is the vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR). This reflex helps stabilize your vision as your head moves. For example, if you’re walking and reading a street sign, the VOR makes tiny eye adjustments, so the letters stay clear instead of bouncing.
When the VOR isn’t working correctly, often due to mismatched visual input, patients may feel disoriented, unsteady, or dizzy. Imagine trying to walk through a busy grocery store when your eyes and inner ear aren’t sending the same message. It can feel overwhelming, even frightening.
Advanced Tools for Vestibular-Vision Therapy in Spokane
Dr. Wylie uses a combination of specialized equipment and custom therapy plans to retrain the eyes and vestibular system. Some of the most effective approaches include:
Prism Lenses
These special glasses bend light to change how images enter the eyes. They can reduce dizziness by realigning the visual system, helping the brain interpret balance signals more accurately.
Syntonic Light Therapy
Specific wavelengths of light calm overstimulated visual pathways and promote healthier communication between the eyes and brain.
Computer-Based Therapy Programs
Interactive exercises strengthen eye tracking, focus, and processing while gradually improving tolerance to motion.
Balance and Movement Integration
Using balance boards, head-eye coordination drills, and progressive exercises, patients learn to regain stability in their movement.
Neuro-Optometric Rehabilitation
This specialized branch of vision therapy focuses on patients with vestibular disorders, concussions, or brain injuries.
Every program is personalized. Some patients start with gentle, seated activities, while others progress to dynamic balance work. Therapy is designed to be gradual and supportive, never overwhelming for those already sensitive to motion.
Tips You Can Try at Home
While professional vision therapy provides the most effective relief, small daily habits can help support your balance.
- Use a steady visual anchor: When you feel unsteady, focus on a fixed object in front of you. This gives your brain a stable reference point.
- Practice gentle head-eye coordination: Hold your thumb at arm’s length, focus on it, and slowly move your head side to side while keeping your eyes locked on your thumb. This strengthens the vestibulo-ocular reflex.
- Follow the 20-20-20 rule: Every 20 minutes of near work, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. This helps reduce visual fatigue and recalibrates focus.
- Maintain consistent lighting: Flickering or dim light increases “visual stress” and may trigger dizziness. Keep your environment evenly lit.
- Declutter your visual space: Busy patterns or too much movement in your field of view can overwhelm the brain. Simplify your workspace to reduce triggers.
- Stay hydrated and get outside: Dehydration can worsen dizziness. Gentle outdoor walks with sunglasses help reduce glare and reintroduce motion in a controlled way.
These strategies can make day-to-day life more manageable, but if vision is the root cause, professional therapy is essential for lasting change.
Finding Your Balance Again
Living with dizziness or vertigo can be exhausting. It affects confidence, limits activities, and often creates anxiety about leaving home. But there is hope. As one patient’s story demonstrated, vision therapy can restore balance and help individuals return to the activities they love.
If you’ve been struggling with dizziness, migraines, or unexplained balance issues, your eyes may be the key. At Advanced Eyecare & Therapies in Spokane, we specialize in uncovering these hidden connections and creating customized treatment plans that bring relief.
Take the First Step Toward Relief
Don’t settle for a life on the sidelines. Schedule a functional vision evaluation at Advanced Eyecare & Therapies in Spokane, and find out if vision therapy could be the solution you’ve been missing.