GLEN CARBON, Ill. - March 8, 2021 - Dr. Julie Steinhauer, OD, FCOVD, owner of Vision For Life, and one of a select group of functional vision doctors in the nation, says many young children and some adults suffer from a condition called Anisometropia, a blurriness of vision due to differences of refractive powers of one eye over the other.
According to the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus, Anisometropia can be caused by one eye having a slightly different shape or size from the other causing asymmetric curvature (astigmatism), asymmetric far-sightedness (hyperopia), or asymmetric near-sightedness (myopia).
In addition, Anisometropia can cause amblyopia, or lazy eye, in younger children. This centers on the brain sending messages to the stronger of the two eyes rather than as a unit. The eye with unclear, fuzzy images ends up becoming ignored. Over time, and if left untreated, this can lead to permanent vision problems.
Dr. Julie Steinhauer says while hard to detect some telltale signs of Anisometropia Amblyopia can include a wandering eye, eyes not working in conjunction with each other, and poor depth perception. This is discussed in her video What Is Anisometropia (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSPjQRQsc7c).
"Amblyopia from Anisometropia can be a real problem even causing strabismus, where one eye may turn in, up or down," Dr. Steinhauer said. "It can affect depth perception and negatively impact every area of your life. As a result a student may be underperforming in the classroom, sports, and may have issues with body coordination. Adults can have difficulties with driving and performing daily tasks."
Dr. Steinhauer says the problem can be corrected with photosyntonics or light therapy goggles and vision therapy. This can decrease the differences between the eyes and help to retrain the brain to improve eye alignment for those with strabismus. The goggles are designed with different filters to address the patient's specific eye condition. No glasses or contact lenses are worn underneath.
According to Dr. Steinhauer, a trained functional vision specialist can help develop a specific program for each patient. Therapy sessions can be held in person or virtually. A complete eye examination should be administered to help the patient understand their underlying vision issue and then develop a course of action to correct it. For additional information visit https://visionforlifeworks.com.
ABOUT DR. JULIE STEINHAUER
Dr. Steinhauer, now in her 20th year of practice, is a developmental optometrist specializing in vision-related learning problems, sports vision, and rehabilitative optometry. She is board certified in vision development as a Fellow of the College of Optometrists in Vision Development. Dr. Steinhauer is a member of the Illinois Optometric Association, American Optometric Association, College of Optometrists in Vision Development, Optometric Extension Program, the College of Syntonic Optometry, and the Neuro-Optometric Rehabilitation Association.
