Does Vision Therapy Help with Double Vision?
Whether double vision is a recent problem or you've been seeing double your entire life, vision therapy could improve your vision. Vision therapy restores vision with activities, games, and exercises designed to strengthen eye muscles and improve eye coordination and visual processing skills.
What Causes Double Vision?
Wondering why you're experiencing diplopia (double vision)? Common causes include:
- Fatigue. Double vision can happen after you've been focusing intently for hours. It can occur after reading the latest blockbuster in one sitting or taking the wheel on a long road trip.
- Digital Eye Strain. Viewing any device that has a screen, including phones, laptops, tablets, and desktops, without taking frequent breaks can cause a condition called digital eye strain. In addition to double vision, symptoms for digital eye strain include blurry vision, sore neck and shoulder muscles, and red, dry, itchy eyes.
- Strabismus. Strabismus (crossed eyes) happens due to an eye misalignment issue. As a result, the brain doesn't receive the same information from each eye, causing double vision. Double vision can occur even if the misalignment is minor and not noticeable.
- Nerve or Muscle Problems. Double vision can be caused by a problem with the muscles that control eye movements or with nerves that send signals to the eye muscles.
- Eye Teaming Difficulties. Teamwork isn't just important in sports. Double vision could be the result if you don't have good binocular vision. Binocular vision involves both eyes working together as a team, particularly when focusing.
- Visual Processing Disorders. You may notice double vision if your brain struggles to process information from the eyes into a single image.
- Other Causes. Double vision can be caused by diabetes, head injuries, strokes, cataracts, or dry eye. Any condition or injury that affects the cornea, the clear, rounded tissue covering the colored iris, could cause double vision.
Treating Double Vision with Vision Therapy
Vision therapy offers an ideal solution if you're struggling with double vision. A review published in the Delhi Journal of Ophthalmology in 2024 noted that the therapy can improve double vision, depth perception, and binocular vision.
Therapy plans tailored to your diagnosis and difficulties refine and strengthen visual skills needed for good vision. Therapy also helps nerves and muscles work better and enhances the connection between the brain and the eyes.
Common vision therapies activities include:
- Brock String Exercises. During this exercise, you'll slowly move a colored bead closer to your eyes until you see double. After performing the exercise for several weeks, you may notice that you can pull the bead much closer to your eyes without experiencing double vision.
- Computer Games. Your vision therapy plan may include computer or virtual reality games that help the brain merge information from both eyes and improve depth perception and eye tracking skills.
- Prism Lenses. Light rays may not enter the eyes at the correct spot if you have strabismus. Prism lenses keep the rays properly aligned, eliminating double vision and improving binocular vision. A research study published in Peer J in 2024 examined the effects of prism therapy for double vision. Twenty-two of 43 participants in the study saw improvements by using prism lenses alone. Binocular vision improved in 13 out of the remaining participants when prism lenses were combined with vision therapy.
Tired of living with double vision? Vision therapy offers an effective way to improve your visual skills. Contact our office to schedule a visit with the vision therapist.
Sources:
Delhi Journal of Ophthalmology: Role of Binocular Vision Therapy in Strabismic and Nonstrabismic Conditions, 7 - 9/2024
NCBI: Peer J: Successful Treatment of Diplopia Using Prism Correction Combined with Vision Therapy/Orthoptics Improves Health-Related Quality of Life, 5/9/2024
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11088820/
American Optometric Association: Convergence Insufficiency
https://www.aoa.org/healthy-eyes/eye-and-vision-conditions/convergence-insufficiency?sso=y
Cleveland Clinic: Diplopia (Double Vision), 8/6/2024
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/22203-diplopia-double-vision
MedlinePlus: Strabismus, 7/9/2024
https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/001004.htm
