Convergence Insufficiency
What is Convergence Insufficiency
Convergence insufficiency (CI) is a common vision condition where the eyes struggle to work together while focusing on nearby objects. This can lead to symptoms like eye strain, double vision, headaches, and difficulty reading. It occurs when the eyes don’t converge (or turn inward) adequately, making it hard to maintain clear vision at close distances.
Who is Affected by Convergence Insufficiency?
Who is Affected by Convergence Insufficiency?
While convergence insufficiency can occur at any age, it’s most often diagnosed in children and teenagers (6%-8%) who spend significant time reading or using digital devices. It’s a condition that can easily go unnoticed, as symptoms may be mistaken for attention or learning difficulties. Convergence insufficiency can also occur in adults, particularly those who have experienced head injuries or trauma.
Teens and adults who develop Convergence Insufficiency later in life can easily recognize visual issues due to having experienced normal vision before. However, children born with convergence insufficiency are usually unaware of the condition and are unable to explain their struggle with reading and learning. Their convergence insufficiency vision is their norm – all they’ve ever known.
How Convergence Insufficiency Impacts Performance in Children & Adults
- School Performance: Children with CI may struggle with reading comprehension, concentration, completing assignments, lack of confidence, and poor self-esteem due to struggle and failures
- Sports Performance: Difficulty focusing on moving objects can affect hand-eye coordination, reaction times, and athletic performance.
- Job Performance: Difficulty maintaining focus on the computer, reading, reports, and detailed tasks can lead to increased eye strain and fatigue
Symptoms of Convergence Insufficiency
Common symptoms of convergence insufficiency include:
- Eye strain: Discomfort or fatigue in the eyes, especially during tasks like reading.
- Double vision: Seeing two images of a single object.
- Headaches: Often related to visual tasks.
- Difficulty focusing: Trouble maintaining clear vision on nearby objects.
- Blurry vision: Particularly after prolonged reading or close work.
- Reading difficulties: Including skipping lines or losing your place.
- Nausea: In some cases, due to eye strain.
Could My Child Have Convergence Insufficiency?
Children and teens with convergence insufficiency tend to have struggles doing schoolwork, reading, and sports performance – simply catching a ball can be a struggle.
Children may not always be able to identify or articulate that they have convergence insufficiency, as they might not understand the specifics of their vision problems. However, they may express discomfort or difficulties in activities that require close focus, such as:
- Complaining of eye strain or fatigue: They might say their eyes hurt or feel tired after reading or doing homework.
- Struggling with reading: They may have trouble maintaining focus on text, skip lines, or lose their place.
- Experiencing headaches or blurry vision: Frequent headaches, especially after visual tasks, could indicate a problem.
- Showing reluctance to read: They might avoid reading or other close-up tasks due to discomfort.
If your child or loved one experiences these signs, it's important to consult a Behavioral Optometrist for a thorough functional vision evaluation. Early diagnosis and treatment can help mitigate the impact of convergence insufficiency on their learning and daily activities.
Can Convergence Insufficiency Be Misdiagnosed?
CI symptoms, behaviors, or challenges are commonly associated with or mistaken for other conditions leading to misdiagnosis. CI is often misdiagnosed as ADHD, dyslexia, or other learning disabilities. Proper diagnosis by a Behavioral Optometrist is key to effective treatment and relief.
Unlock Potential With Optometric Vision Therapy
Imagine your child sitting in a classroom, their eyes darting back and forth between the board and their notes, yet struggling to keep up because their vision blurs out of focus. Or picture them on the playground trying to catch a ball that seems to dance unpredictably in the air. How about an adult trying to read the words on this website…These challenges are not just about the eyes - they reflect on the brain's ability to control how both eyes work together - because vision occurs in the brain and NOT the eyes. The eyes take information in, but the brain processes it for an appropriate response. When the brain and eyes function effectively, it enables us to easily read words on the board or computer, in a book, catch a ball, and maintain focus throughout the day.
DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS
Convergence Insufficiency symptoms, behaviors, or challenges are commonly associated with or mistaken for other conditions.
This can lead to misdiagnoses, where vision issues are mistaken for learning or attention disorders rather than symptoms of a correctable functional vision problem. These conditions include:
- ADHD
- Dyslexia
- Anxiety
- Migraines
- Other Developmental or Learning Disorders
How Vision Therapy Can Treat Convergence Insufficiency
Optometric Vision Therapy for convergence insufficiency trains the brain to better control and coordinate both eyes to increase the ability to maintain clear and comfortable focus. As the brain-eye teamwork improves, the convergence insufficiency symptoms are slowly alleviated.
A functional vision assessment is critical to determine whether you or your child have convergence insufficiency. With the right approach and techniques, vision therapy can significantly improve, the symptoms associated with Convergence Insufficiency. Vision Development of WNY takes a personalized approach and tailors therapy to each patient to train and develop brain-eye communication.
Get Started Today
Contact the Behavioral Optometrist at Vision Development of WNY today. There’s Hope In Sight.