"Help – I have double vision!"
Anyone that has "double vision" is not necessarily drunk – even if the vernacular suggests this. "I have double vision" – this paraphrase for excessive alcohol consumption can also be an indication for a hidden, but widespread image position error in the human eye, which is responsible for the "double vision".
Have you ever wondered why humans have two eyes? Well, the answer is simple: only by combining both eyes we have stereoscopic vision. For this purpose both eyes have to align themselves to the object of vision, which – ideally – is displayed in the center of the retina groove. The pictures that are projected there by the optic of the eyeball are converted into one uniform stereoscopic visual impression. With more than half of the human population this is not the case or only under significant strain for the eye muscles. They have associated heterophoria. One that has associated heterophoria does not necessarily have bad eye-sight though. Quite the contrary: some even have eagle eyes. But to truly have good eye-sight, this person has to – often unknowingly – strain him- or herself, which can lead to discomfort and disorders.
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Initial situation
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Consequence
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Correction through
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A malposition of the angles of the right and left eye causes a non-ideal image position during relaxed seeing and thus leads to a blurred image, in extreme cases to double vision. |
The eye muscles compensate this malposition: The image becomes clear. But the constant one-sided strain on the affected muscle can cause headaches and other discomfort.
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Prismatic visual aids help to an optimal visual impression and relaxed eye muscles at the same time. |
The constant "pull" on the motion muscles to prevent a double image – like with strabismus – is linked with a high energy use. Energy that the body would need for other functions. The nonstop strain can lead to headaches, migraine, watering eyes, fatigue, eye rubbing, difficulties to concentrate, high sensitivity to light and poor visual judgement. While reading it could happen that the lines or letters scoot together or the writing blurs. Reading while in a moving car is usually impossible; especially children can get car sick. Ball games prove to be especially difficult for people with associated heterophoria just like tennis, golf or badminton, where exact aim is key. And anyone that has gotten up close with the bumper of the nearest car while parking, might need more of a prismatic visual aid that corrects their assumed image position error than an acoustic parking assistant.
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There also are troubles that do not automatically lead to the assumption of a malposition of the eyes. Children with 100% acuteness of vision but with distinct associated heterophoria can have significant trouble early in their development, when it comes to stepping down a staircase on their own, balancing, reading the clock, colouring a picture or cutting out a figure, because image in their eye does not match with the real one. And even poor handwriting, dizziness and fright of heights can be signs for a non-idea image position. As specialists for good eye-sight we devote special attention to finding non-ideal image positioning. With the MKH-method, a sensitive optometric examination method is used, with whose help even lateral image position errors can be identified and corrected safely. The optical correction generally happens through precisely defined prismatic lenses that project the image in the middle of the retina groove, relieve the eye muscles of the constant "pull" and allow relaxed seeing. You'll see! |