You were told your child has 20/20 vision, but they still complain of blurry vision...
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Understanding the complexities of the visual system.
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Summary of impacts...
Headaches
Blurry/Double Vision
Children with binocular vision problems often experience headaches because their eyes are working extra hard to focus and align properly. The strain of trying to see clearly, especially when dealing with blurred or double vision, forces the brain to work overtime to make sense of what they’re seeing. This extra effort, particularly during tasks like reading or using a computer, can lead to frequent headaches.
Even if your child passed their eye exam or vision screening with 20/20 vision, they may still complain of blurry vision due to issues with how their eyes work together, not just how clearly they see. Standard eye exams often only test visual clarity (acuity), but problems like binocular vision deficits, focusing issues, or eye coordination that can cause blurry vision, especially during reading or close work are not part of these exams.
Tracking Skills
Tracking skills develop as children use their eyes to follow moving objects or read. With binocular vision problems, the eyes don’t work together consistently, so tracking remains underdeveloped. Even if reading improves, they may still struggle to keep their place or follow text smoothly because their eyes haven’t learned to track properly.
Spatial Awareness
Binocular Vision Dysfunction can affect a child’s spatial awareness, making it harder to understand where objects are in relation to their body. This can lead to challenges with tasks like navigating obstacles, playing sports, and recognizing letter orientation. Poor spatial awareness may cause frequent letter reversals, like confusing "b" and "d," as the brain struggles to interpret letter positions. It can also result in clumsiness and difficulties with everyday activities.
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Double vision (seeing two images of the same object)
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Eye strain or fatigue, especially after reading or near work
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Headaches after visual tasks like reading or computer use
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Difficulty focusing or maintaining attention on near tasks
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Squinting or closing one eye to see more clearly
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Frequent eye rubbing or blinking
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Skipping lines or losing place when reading
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Poor depth perception, leading to clumsiness or trouble judging distances
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Slow reading speed or avoidance of reading
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Letter reversals or difficulty with writing
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Complaints of blurry vision during near work