Good eyesight helps make life a little easier for you so you can drive, read and study with much less struggle, stress and effort. There is a vision disorder called diplopia, commonly known as double vision, which hinders the eyes’ ability to function normally. Fortunately, a series of specific vision exercises can relieve symptoms related to this vision condition.
What is double vision? According to Medical News Today, a respected authority on eye care in the United States, if you are seeing Double Vision, a single image appears to you as 2 images simultaneously.
What causes diplopia? Allaboutvision.com identifies a number of different causes of this vision imbalance. One of the main causes is binocular double vision. In such a case, the patient’s eyes are misaligned. As a result, there is an imbalance that causes the eyes to point at different angles to varying degrees. The brain perceives images that are not identical enough to form a single image. Therefore, two images are created; causing double vision. Damage to the third cranial nerve that is responsible for eye movement causes the affected eye to move outward when the healthy eye looks straight ahead, causing this visual abnormality. The following conditions are also contributing factors to double vision: thyroid disease, diabetes, stroke, injury, astigmatism, and dry eye syndrome.
An alternative natural remedy for this vision disorder is eye exercises. Before beginning any type of eye exercise program, consult your doctor. Eye exercises improve this vision problem in cases where an individual suffers from what is known as convergence insufficiency. According to the Mayo Clinic, convergence insufficiency means: “Your eyes don’t turn inward properly when you focus on a close object. When you read or look at a close object, your eyes must converge inward to focus so that you see a single image” (Mayoclinic.com, 2012).
Here are some eye exercises for double vision:
Balancing: This technique is useful in cases where there is damage to the third cranial nerve, which is responsible for controlling eye movement and due to this visual malfunction, the affected eye tends to move out while the healthy eye looks forward creating double images. To perform the swing, stand up and select an object in the distance and focus on it. Then gently rock your body from side to side while keeping your focus on the distant object as best you can. You can blink while doing this exercise. Do 2 sets of 10 reps.
Pencil push-ups: According to a study conducted by the Pennsylvania College of Optometry, patients suffering from convergence insufficiency who were prescribed this particular eye technique saw a significant reduction in their symptoms. For this exercise, you will need a pencil. Sit in a comfortable chair while holding a pencil in front of your face at a distance where you can clearly see the letters on the side of the pencil. Gradually move the pencil to the point where it is about six inches from your nose. The goal of this vision exercise is to keep your focus on a particular letter in the pencil as you move it toward your nose. If the letter appears as a double image, move the pencil away from you. Do this exercise for 10 minutes while continuing to move the pencil back and forth in front of your face.
Eye Roll: Roll your eyes clockwise, then counterclockwise. Make sure the rotations are slow, controlled and try to avoid sudden movements. Smooth rotations can be achieved through regular practice. Do 2 sets of 10 reps each.
Double vision is a disorder caused by an imbalance in the position of the eyes that causes the brain to transmit double images instead of single images. It is also triggered by a variety of other factors. For example, vision disorders and health conditions such as diabetes, stroke, injury, binocular double vision, astigmatism, and dry eye syndrome. While the symptoms of double vision may seem distressing, specific eye exercise techniques practiced regularly are an effective remedy for the problem.
