Convergence Insufficiency & Double Vision

The way our eyes team together and focus directly affects our ability to read, process and understand information.  When our two eyes don’t team together properly, the result is often double-vision, headaches, poor depth-perception, and a significant handicap in reading and learning.

Convergence insufficiency is a common condition which is seen in both children and adults.  It is characterized by an inability to effectively converge or align the eyes together to perform near oriented visual tasks, such as reading and computer work, for the length of time required to complete the task.  Individuals with convergence insufficiency often report that it appears that the print seems to “move” or “jump” or appear to blur into and out of focus as they read or do other near work.  Symptoms that are often present along with this type of eye teaming problem include: eye strain, headaches, rubbing or closing of one eye while reading and the general avoidance of reading or other near work.

CONVERGENCE INSUFFICIENCY AT SCHOOL

Studies have shown that when children have difficulties with reading or learning, their struggles are often linked to Convergence Insufficiency.  The symptoms of Convergence Insufficiency directly impact reading performance as well as attention and concentration.  Often, when children have difficulty sustaining attention on school work, it is suspected that they have an attentional problem such as ADD or ADHD, when the true source of their struggles is poor vision skills.  Once the teaming problems are treated, reading, attention and other school performance problems dramatically improve.

CI AT WORK

Convergence Insufficiency doesn’t go away with age.  Over time, the brain may develop some bad habits (known as suppression) to avoid the confusion of double-vision, but the real problem remains.  As we become more involved with the technological advances of our society and of our work demands, the importance of good eye teaming increases as well. Adults with Convergence Insufficiency experience tired eyes and headaches at work, which reduces job performance and makes work unbearable at times.  But there is good news!  At Indiana Vision Development Center, PC, we can correct convergence insufficiency for patients of all ages.

THE IMPORTANCE OF CORRECT TREATMENT

In 2008 the National Eye Institute released the results of a major multi-center research study designed to look at multiple methods of treatment for Convergence Insufficiency.  Based on scientific evidence, the research shows that office-based vision therapy is the most effective and consistent treatment for Convergence Insufficiency when compared to all other methods, like an exclusively home-based vision therapy and/or pencil push ups.

At Indiana Vision Development Center, PC, we correct and improve our patient’s eye teaming abilities, which makes them more effective at reading, learning and many other areas of performance in the classroom, in the work place and on the playing field.