What is Convergence Insufficiency?

Convergence insufficiency affects the way in which your eyes work as a team. Have you ever noticed that you get double vision when focusing on nearby objects? The most likely cause of this is convergence insufficiency; it causes your eyes to drift outward instead of inward creating a blurred image. The best convergence insufficiency treatment is a thorough and targeted vision therapy regimen.

Symptoms and Effects

It is usually very easy to catch convergence insufficiency early in life. It’s symptoms are obvious, but they can easily be mistaken for a myriad of other ocular disorders. Symptoms may include:

• double vision
• poor concentration
• headaches
• outward alignment of eyes
• trouble reading
• squinting
• poor memory
• covers or closes an eye
• excessive tearing
• complains of letters or lines floating
• reports confusion of what was seen

Not everyone experiences the same symptoms, and many times they won’t have any immediate health consequences. However, they can affect you or your child’s performance in work / school, on the field, at home, and in many other parts of life. We recommend contacting a behavioral optometrist/ eye care professional and consulting them about vision therapy. Call Accent Eye Care today at 602-547-3255 if you have any questions about the effects of convergence insufficiency treatment.

Therapy Regimen

Vision therapy is a targeted process that is especially effective in treating collaborative inefficiencies. It works by training the eyes to interact naturally. Generally, conditions where your eyes don’t work together are considered to be cognitive, and thus cannot be treated with glasses or surgery. The root of the problem lies in the brain.

Since every therapy regimen is built around the patient’s needs, the doctor will program an individualized plan specific to the patient. Each session is run by one of our professional therapists who provide the visual activities and exercises using the latest technology, including virtual reality equipment. In addition, we recommend practicing these exercises at home as well to supplement the results. If you suspect you or your child may have convergence insufficiency, please contact us at 602-547-3255. We would love to answer any questions you have about convergence insufficiency treatment.

Diagnosis

In order to begin vision therapy, your behavioral optometrist needs to provide a proper diagnosis as well as a full eye exam and a medical history assessment. They will also need several measurements:

• Near Point of Convergence – measures the closest distance where your eyes can focus without double vision.
• Positive Fusional Vergence – where you begin to have double vision while looking through prisms.

It’s possible to have convergence insufficiency without having any clear symptoms, so if you suspect there is a discrepancy with expected performance, please call Accent Eye Care for a comprehensive behavioral eye exam.