Symptoms Indicating A Visual Efficiency Problem
Visual efficiency problems can manifest in various ways, including reading difficulties, focusing issues, and behavioral problems. These visual dysfunctions can have a profound impact on a student's ability to learn and can hinder productivity at work.
Recognizing the warning signs and being aware of common visual efficiency problems is crucial for early detection and treatment.
Let's explore several prevalent visual efficiency problems and their associated symptoms. If you experience any of these symptoms, we highly recommend visiting your eye doctor.
Eye Teaming Problems
To perceive the world clearly, both eyes must work together in perfect unison and coordination. When the eyes fail to function as a team, the resulting images processed by the brain can be confusing.
Two common eye teaming problems are convergence insufficiency and convergence excess. In the former, the eyes struggle to focus inward on an object held close to the nose. Convergence excess, on the other hand, makes it difficult for the eyes to focus outward, leading to difficulties with distance vision.
Symptoms of eye teaming problems may include:
- Blurred or double vision
- Tired or uncomfortable eyes
- Difficulty reading
- Squinting or rubbing of the eyes
- Headaches
- Difficulty concentrating
- Poor depth perception
Eye Tracking Problems
Efficient eye tracking involves the smooth and effortless movements of the eyes, enabling us to scan our environment and quickly assess our surroundings.
When eye movements become slower than normal, inaccurate, or require external cues (such as following a moving finger), it may indicate an eye tracking problem. Three types of eye tracking problems include fixation dysfunction, deficiency of saccades, and deficiency of pursuits.
Individuals with eye tracking problems may:
- Frequently skip lines when reading due to the eyes' inability to smoothly move from one line to the next
- Easily lose their place while reading
- Omit or substitute words while reading
- Exhibit poor hand-eye coordination
- Struggle with spelling words correctly
Focusing Problems
Each time we shift our gaze from one object to another, our eyes adjust their focusing power to ensure a clear and crisp image. Focusing problems arise when the ciliary muscle, responsible for accommodating focus, cannot easily relax, tighten, or maintain its position.
Symptoms of focusing problems may include:
- Holding objects close to the face in order to see them clearly
- Experiencing headaches during or after reading
- Blurred vision
- Watery eyes
- Difficulty reading or avoiding reading altogether
- Blurred vision when shifting focus from one object to another
- Frequent eye rubbing
How Vision Therapy Can Help
Vision therapy aims to develop and strengthen the eye-brain connection, which is often weak in individuals with visual efficiency problems.
A personalized vision therapy program includes customized visual exercises designed to establish new pathways in the visual system. By consistently performing these exercises, patients can improve their visual skills. Vision therapy may also incorporate specialized prisms, filters, or lenses.
If you or a loved one are experiencing any of the symptoms mentioned above, it is advisable to have your vision evaluated. Contact Child & Family Eye Care today to schedule your appointment.
Our practice proudly serves patients from The Woodlands, Magnolia, Shenandoah, Tomball, Texas, and the surrounding communities.
