Vision Therapy
Vision Therapy is a sequence of neurosensory and neuromuscular activities individually prescribed and monitored by a doctor to develop, rehab, and enhance visual skills and processing. It can be done to help treat a lazy eye, crossed eyes, and a number of other visual processing disorders.
Amblyopia
Amblyopia is a decrease in vision occurring during the years of visual development. This happens as a result of abnormal visual stimulation. It usually occurs in one eye, but it can be present in both.
Is Amblyopia common?
Yes, approximately 3-5% of children are affected by amblyopia. It is a relatively common disorder and a major cause of visual impairment in children. It is caused due to an insult on the visual system during the critical period of development due to three reasons. Amblyopia can be caused due to strabismus, anisometropia, high refractive error, or when deprivation interferes with normal cortical development.
Is amblyopia treatable?
In certain cases, amblyopia can be corrected with prescription glasses, patching, vision therapy, or a combination of all three. The earlier amblyopia is detected, the better the prognosis for the outcome. A proper vision therapy evaluation is needed to determine the most suitable course of action.
Strabismus
Crossed eyes, or strabismus, is a condition in which both eyes do not look at the same place at the same time. This usually occurs due to poor eye muscle control or due to a highly far-sighted prescription. Normally, the eyes work together so they both focus simultaneously at the same place. Proper eye alignment is important to avoid seeing double, for good depth perception, and to prevent the development of poor vision in the turned eye.
Symptoms of strabismus include:
- Eyes that appear misaligned
- Eyes that do not move simultaneously
- Frequent blinking or squinting
- Tilted the head to focus on objects
- Poor depth perception
- Double vision
What should I do if I suspect that my child has strabismus?
Any child older than four months of age should be examined if his or her eyes do not appear to be straight all the time. Strabismus usually develops in infants and young children, most often by the age of three. However, older children and adults can also develop this condition. People often believe that a child with strabismus will outgrow the condition, but this is not true. In fact, strabismus may get worse without treatment.
Convergence Insufficiency
Convergence Insufficiency is characterized by a decrease in the ability to maintain bilateral control of the eyes while focused at near. Patients who have convergence insufficiency will often complain of eye strain while reading, or blurred vision after short periods of near work.
What causes convergence insufficiency?
The cause of an isolated convergence insufficiency (CI) , not related to trauma or neurological disease, has not been completely determined. The cause of CI is thought to be through an imbalance of vergence eye movements that is either an inborn deficiency or an acquired defect.
Is convergence insufficiency treatable?
Yes, vision therapy is the primary treatment modality used by most eye care professionals for the treatment of CI. There are numerous different types of eye exercises; however, the primary treatment modalities for CI include home based exercises, in-office exercises, computer vergence exercises, or a combination of these. Some studies have suggested that performing both the home-based exercises and the computer program is more effective than either modality performed on its own (1).
Computer vision syndrome
Computer vision syndrome, also referred to as digital eye strain, describes a group of eye and vision related problems that result from prolonged device use. In most cases, symptoms of CVS occur because the visual demands of the task exceed the visual abilities of the individual to comfortably perform them. The individuals at the greatest risk for developing CVS are those persons who spend two or more continuous hours at a computer or use digital devices everyday.
Symptoms of computer vision syndrome can include:
- Eyestrain
- Headaches
- Blurred vision
- Dry eyes
- Neck and shoulder pain
Causes of CVS
- Uncorrected vision problems
- Improper viewing distances
- Glare emitting from a digital screen
- Poor ergonomics
- A combination of these factors
