Convergence Insufficiency

#1

Cause of Eye Strain

What is Convergence Insufficiency (CI)? :

Convergence Insufficiency is a common eye-teaming problem in which the eyes have difficulty turning in to read and see during near work. Convergence Insufficiency is the #1 visual issue to cause eyestrain, blurry vision, double vision (diplopia), and/or headaches and may also lead to loss of concentration and frequent loss of place when reading and working up close. In order to not see double, a person with Convergence Insufficiency must use extra effort to make the eyes turn in to bring the images into alignment. This extra effort can lead to symptoms such as eye strain, blurred or double vision.

Children with Convergence Insufficiency have more symptoms and show worse attention when reading than children without Convergence Insufficiency. Research has shown that treatment using office-based Optometric Vision Therapy improves symptoms in children affected with Convergence Insufficiency. Some studies have suggested that this treatment also results in improvements in reading and attention.

CI and Children :

Convergence Insufficiency unfortunately goes undiagnosed in children because the necessary testing is not included in eye tests in a pediatrician’s office, school eye screenings, or basic eye exams in an optometrist’s or ophthalmologist’s office. A common myth is 20/20 eyesight means you have perfect vision. You can have 20/20 eyesight and still have convergence insufficiency. Eyesight and vision are not synonymous. Convergence Insufficiency is a vision problem, and involves the functioning of the eye-brain connections necessary to make sense of what we see and to be able to do it quickly and automatically.

Read more about Eyesight VS Vision on the blog

Because approximately 80% of learning at school is based on vision (visual skills and visual processing), if Convergence Insufficiency goes undiagnosed, it can have a dramatic impact on classroom performance.

Read more about vision related learning problems.

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