Vestibular Disorders and Vision

How can an ear infection affect my vision?

A common complaint by those suffering from a vestibular disorder is visual disturbance. Examples can be blurred vision, difficulty maintaining focus while moving your head, inability to track a moving object, oscillopsia (where it seems as if the environment is bouncing), and difficulty moving your eyes to various targets quickly. Some common causes of vestibular disorders include Labyrinthitis, Vestibular Neuritis, and BPPV.

The visual and vestibular systems work in combination to stabilize vision. The vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) is responsible for keeping the eyes still during head movement, so you are able to maintain focus on an object, also known as gaze stability. The inner ear has hair cells that will trigger nerve impulses when the head rotates which also sends input to the brain, postural muscles and eyes. As we turn our head to the right nerve impulses increase while they decrease on the left. The difference in the rate of impulses is perceived by the brain as motion and provides stability to the eyes and postural muscles. If there is a problem with the vestibular system then the input to the brain is incorrect which will lead to imbalance, vertigo, or visual disturbance.

https://vestibular.org/article/diagnosis-treatment/vision-hearing/vision-challenges-with-vestibular-disorders/