|
· Arousal · Hearing · Posture · Sleep · Vision
|
The Cause of Internet and TV Addiction? www.causeof.org |
|
Binocular Functions
· What are Binocular Functions? · Problems with Binocular Functions · Improving Binocular Functions · Types · Tips
"Binocular functions refer to the ability of the eyes to coordinate their activity so that we can merge the visual fields of both eyes into one distinct image. The most commonly observed aspects of binocular functions include convergence (the ability of the two eyes to team and focus on the same object), and accommodations (the ability of the eyes to shift their focus from near point to far point or vice versa). Each eye can have normal acuity (20/20 vision) but unless the eyes team, visual functions are impaired."
Problems with Binocular Functions "The following are issues that may occur in a person experiencing difficulties with binocular functions:
∙ Difficulty going down stairs
∙ Poor eye-hand coordination
∙ Pain, watering, discomfort when required to perform visual work
∙ Inability to read without losing place
∙ Rubbing eyes after use
∙ Frequent headaches after visual work
∙ Frequent stomach aches after visual work
∙ Difficulty copying from the board
∙ Generalised light sensitivity (photophobia)
∙ Poor three-dimensional perception
∙ Difficulty in sustaining eye contact"
By improving the binocular functions of your eyes, such as convergence and divergence, you can improve your peripheral and central vision. Some methods for improving binocular functions are:
· Vision Suggestions: Three-Dimensional Stereo Images · Bates Method Exercises · Palming · Swinging · Sunning · Fusion · Suggestions listed in the table of contents on the 'Vision Suggestions' page under the 'Binocular Functions' heading (e.g. Accommodative Insufficiency).
"Amblyopia, which usually begins in infancy or childhood, is a condition of poor vision in an otherwise healthy eye because the brain has learned to favor the other eye. Although the eye with amblyopia often looks normal, there is interference with normal visual processing that limits the development of a portion of the brain responsible for vision. The most common causes of amblyopia are crossed or wandering eyes or significant differences in refractive error, such as farsightedness or nearsightedness, between the two eyes." EyeMDLink.com: Reduced Daily Eye Patching Effectively Treats Childhood's Most Common Eye Disorder
"Research has shown that amblyopia associated with anisometropia has different characteristics than amblyopia associated with strabismus. Therefore the occlusion and treatment modes are slightly different for the two types of amblyopia." Indiana University School of Optometry: Course V755-Basic Vision Therapy
Amblyopia with Strabismus · "Patients with strabismic amblyopia may be treated at any age, however, the clinician must consider eccentric fixation. · The preferred type of occlusion to be used in strabismic patients with NRC is constant direct occlusion [occluding the non-amblyopic eye]. · If the patient has eccentric fixation, some clinicians occlude the amblyopic eye to keep them from using the eccentric point. · The length of occlusion is determined by the age of the patient. Occlusion sustained too long in a preschool aged child may be detrimental to the vision in the non- amblyopic eye (so-called "occlusion amblyopia"). · The method commonly used is 1 day per week for each year of age, on successive days. · Treatment is continuous until 6-8 weeks after last measured improvement." Indiana University School of Optometry: Course V755-Basic Vision Therapy
Amblyopia with Anisometropia · "Full-time occlusion in anisometropic amblyopia is contraindicated [meaning inadvisable] because these patients often have partial binocular vision. Constant occlusion may precipitate strabismus and loss of fusion. · Part-time direct occlusion is the preferred method. · Combined with binocular enhancement procedures, 2 to 6 hours per day [for occlusion-not for binocular enhancement procedures], every day, is sufficient. Treatment continues for 6-8 weeks after last measured improvement." Indiana University School of Optometry: Course V755-Basic Vision Therapy
"Amblyopia therapy may consist of one or more of the following: · Optical Correction [lenses] · Passive Therapy [blocking one eye] · Active Therapy [e.g. hand-eye coordination exercises] · "Cam" therapy [not proven] · Pleoptics [not proven]" Indiana University School of Optometry: Course V755-Basic Vision Therapy
"Patching the unaffected eye of children with moderate amblyopia for two hours daily works as well as patching the eye for six hours. This research finding should lead to better compliance with treatment and improved quality of life for children with amblyopia, or 'lazy eye,' the most common cause of visual impairment in childhood." EyeMDLink.com: Reduced Daily Eye Patching Effectively Treats Childhood's Most Common Eye Disorder
"Dr. Sieving said it is crucial for young children to comply with the recommended treatment because visual impairment can persist into adulthood if amblyopia is not successfully treated in early childhood. Amblyopia is the most common cause of monocular (one eye) visual impairment among children and young and middle-aged adults." EyeMDLink.com: Reduced Daily Eye Patching Effectively Treats Childhood's Most Common Eye Disorder
"Patching the unaffected eye has been the mainstay of amblyopia treatment for decades. In March 2002, the same researchers reported the effectiveness of a second treatment, which involved using atropine eye drops that dilated the unaffected eye, temporarily blurring vision. Both treatments force the child to use the eye with amblyopia, stimulating vision improvement in that eye by helping the part of the brain that manages vision to develop more completely." EyeMDLink.com: Reduced Daily Eye Patching Effectively Treats Childhood's Most Common Eye Disorder
"Parents in both groups were advised that the daily hours of patching should be continuous when possible. In addition to patching, parents were instructed to have the child spend at least one of the hours of patching time each day doing 'near' visual activities, such as · reading, · writing homework assignments, · making crafts, · coloring, · tracing, · cutting out objects, · connecting dots, · doing hidden pictures and word finds, · playing computerized video games, or other activities requiring eye-hand coordination. Instructions of one hour of near activities were identical in both the two-hour and six-hour patching groups." EyeMDLink.com: Reduced Daily Eye Patching Effectively Treats Childhood's Most Common Eye Disorder
"Vision in the unaffected eye decreased by either one or two lines on the standard eye chart in about 21 percent of patients in the two-hour group, and about 24 percent of patients in the six-hour group. However, this is normal for patients with amblyopia, and vision in the unaffected eye is expected to return to normal when treatment is completed." EyeMDLink.com: Reduced Daily Eye Patching Effectively Treats Childhood's Most Common Eye Disorder
"Researchers note that the amount of vision improvement after four months in the eye with amblyopia should not be considered to be the maximum amount of improvement that can occur with patching. Instead, four months represented the maximum length of time they believed the treatments could be maintained in the study before either increasing the prescribed number of hours of patching or switching to an alternate treatment for amblyopia might be necessary." EyeMDLink.com: Reduced Daily Eye Patching Effectively Treats Childhood's Most Common Eye Disorder
Some computer programs are oriented in a way that may force you to spend most of your time looking at one part of the screen. If your monitor is positioned directly in front of you, and you are using a computer program, you may be spending much of your time looking either to the left or to the right. This can exacerbate amblyopia. For example, if you are right hand dominant, and you spend much of your time looking to the left, this can increase your left-eye dominance because the left eye would be closer to the object on the screen. To prevent this you may need to reposition your monitor so it is further to the right if you are right handed, or further to the left if you are left handed.
The palming exercise may be helpful for resting the eyes before or after amblyopia therapy.
Conscious and Subconscious Vision MedicineNet.com: Peripheral Vision
Unconscious Vision Bates Method: Unconscious Vision
Central and Peripheral Vision "If you divide our brain into the conscious and subconscious, you could say that cone (central) vision is processed consciously, whereas rod (peripheral) vision is processed subconsciously. At most times, your subconscious mind functions in the background, sifting through huge streams of information for your conscious mind to consider."
"Components of Vision. There are two components of the visual system, focal (fovea) visionand ambient (peripheral) vision. Focal vision is primarily responsible for object recognition, and ambient vision is primarily responsible for spatial orientation.
· Ambient Vision. Ambient vision is often referred to as peripheral vision. It is a subconscious function independent of focal vision whose primary role is to orient an individual in the environment. For example, one can fully occupy focal vision by reading (a conscious action), while simultaneously obtaining sufficient orientation cues with peripheral vision to walk (a subconscious function). The same can happen when flying an aircraft and performing a task such as interpreting radar contact information on a HUD. Focal vision is used to consciously decipher task-oriented information while peripheral information is subconsciously used to maintain spatial orientation." USAF: Night Vision Goggles (Word Document, 1.47 MB)
Improving Peripheral and Central Vision · Binocular Functions: Improving Binocular Functions · Other Suggestions: Distractions
What is Diplopia? "Double vision (diplopia) is one of the most troublesome visual disorders a patient can experience. The ability to read, walk and perform common activities is suddenly disrupted."
Management "The management of double vision may include prisms, orthoptics, therapy, eye muscle surgery and occlusion."
Double Vision that is Unresponsive to Orthoptics, Prism and Surgery "When diplopia causes significant discomfort, and is not responsive to other therapies, occlusion may be used."
Alternatives to Eye Patches "Unfortunately many clinicians are still prescribing black 'pirate' patches. These are rarely required. New methods of occlusion are now available."
|