Eye Coordination Problems

Eye coordination entails the eyes to work together to enable accurate vision. Although each of your eyes sees a slightly different image of what you are looking at, your brain merges the two together, by means of a proves called fusion, into a composite three-dimensional image. Eye coordination keeps the vision clear and enables the eyes to retain proper alignment. Eye coordination problems can result from disease or injury.

• The human eye

Function

• Eye-coordination problems occur when the eyes are unable to work together and can be caused by poor development and control of the eye muscles or impaired vision. In cases of improper muscular development or control, children under 6 years of age are the main group to be affected. In most cases the problem is treated effectively with prescription glasses sometimes in combination with visual therapy. Early detection ensures the best outcome with short-term treatment.

Types

• Poor eye coordination can be difficult to detect, so it is essential to have regular optometric examinations. It is recommended that they begin around the age of 6 months and are repeated at age 3 years. Some signs and symptoms that indicate poor eye coordination in later years include headaches, pain around the eyes, eye fatigue, double vision, dizziness, irritability, difficulty reading, impaired body coordination, impaired sports performance and inability to concentrate.

20/20 Vision

• The term "20/20 vision" is used to express the clarity of normal vision. It means that you can see clearly at a distance of 20 feet exactly what you should be able to see at that distance. If you have 20/60 vision it means that you must be as close as 20 feet to see what a normal person can see at 60 feet.

Amblyopia

• Amblyopia is also known as "lazy eye." It occurs when the vision in one or both of the eyes is decreased due to a disturbance in the development of the visual system. There are usually no symptoms of amblyopia because the brain usually compensates by paying attention to the eye that is unaffected. One common cause is a big difference in the corrective lens prescription for each eye; in this case, the brain will favor the least affected eye, which may result in the poorer eye not developing normally. Another cause is a significant case of uncorrected astigmatism (impaired vision due to improper development of the cornea).

Strabismus

• Strabismus or crossed eyes occurs when both of the eyes or a single eye are turned up, down, in to the center or out to the side. This type of misalignment is usually caused by poor eye muscle control and often appears between the ages of 21 months and 6 years. This is why early optometric testing is recommended. Though many people believe that a child will grow out of strabismus, this is an incorrect assumption. Without treatment the condition may worsen. Treatment options include vision therapy, single vision or bifocal glasses and, in rare cases, surgery.