Eye coordination is the ability of both eyes to work
together as a team. Each of your eyes sees a slightly different image
and your brain, by a process called fusion, blends these two images
into one three-dimensional picture. Good eye coordination keeps the
eyes in proper alignment, and is an important factor in depth perception, or stereopsis. Eye coordination is a skill that must be
developed. Poor eye coordination results from a lack of adequate vision
development or improperly developed eye muscle control. Although rare,
an injury or disease can cause poor eye coordination. Because the images seen by each eye must be virtually the same, a
person usually compensates for poor eye muscle control by
subconsciously exerting extra effort to maintain proper alignment of
the eyes. In more severe cases, the muscles cannot adjust the eyes so
that the same image is seen and double vision occurs. Since the brain
will try to avoid seeing double, it eventually learns to ignore the
image sent by one eye. This can result in amblyopia, a serious vision condition commonly known as lazy eye.
Some signs and symptoms that may indicate poor eye coordination
include double vision, headaches, eye and body fatigue, irritability,
dizziness and difficulty in reading and concentrating. Children may
also display characteristics that may indicate poor eye coordination
including covering one eye, skipping lines or losing their place while
reading, poor sports performance due to reduced depth perception, avoiding tasks that require close
work and tiring easily.
Since poor eye coordination can be difficult to detect, periodic
optometric examinations, beginning at age six months and again at age
three years are recommended. A major problem with many routine "vision
tests" done at schools is that simply reading an eye chart will not
detect eye coordination problems. A comprehensive examination by a
doctor of
optometry can determine the extent, if any, of poor eye coordination.
Eye coordination problems can often be successfully treated with
eyeglasses
and/or vision therapy. The success rate for achieving proper eye
coordination and good depth perception can be quite high, especially if
it is detected and treated early. Sometimes, eye coordination will
improve
when other vision conditions like nearsightedness or farsightedness are corrected. In some cases, if the eyes are misaligned by tooo great an amount, surgery may be necessary to align them, followed by vision therapy to "re-teach" them to work together as a team. Your optometrist can evaluate your or your child's eyes, and discuss all your options with you.
