Binocular Vision and Eye Strain Sometimes no matter how clear the vision is through the glasses eyestrain develops. This eyestrain is not due to visual acuity but instead is caused by poor eye muscle coordination. In children this muscle coordination is of greatest concern when a eye turn ("lazy eye") is noted. Eye turns in developing visual systems (0- about13yrs. can result in a permanent reduced visual acuity in the turned eye. This is because the brain prefers to "see" one image and not two and will in essence "turn off" the vision in the turned eye. The treatment of this condition typically consists of patching the good eye, eye exercises and sometimes muscle surgery. Sometimes an eye turn is not present but eyestrain develops. Again this is a problem in which the eyes want to turn in or out but the patients muscles are strong enough to hold the eyes straight. However keeping the eyes straight for long periods of time will begin to cause eye fatigue. Many patients will complain of blurry, or double vision after long periods of computer/near work. Some patients may also report a sleepy feeling soon after reading (even if the material is interesting). For these patients eye exercises are often enough treatment to relieve the symptoms. The preference for an eye to turn may also present problems in computer work. Since computers are set at a near distance they require the eyes to converge or pull together this constant need for the eyes to be pulled in can cause ocular fatigue at the end of a hard day at the computer. As with everything computers have brought a new way to treat these disorders and a computer program is now available to help alleviate the eye strain. The program consists of exercises preformed for about 15 minutes per day. After about 6 weeks most patients will notice a difference in near work comfort. After the muscles are built up enough to provide all day comfort the exercises may be reduced to a few times a week. The advantage to the computer program is that it is 1. more entertaining than traditional techniques and 2 more affordable as it allows the exercises to be preformed at home and limits the need for office calls. The following are typical complaints of an individual with eye coordination problems blurred vision double vision car sickness headache fatigue when reading or using a computer avoidance of close work closing or covering one eye to read reading problems concentration difficulty losing your place when reading frowning or squinting while reading attention problems slow reading The following site is the company that makes the software and they maintain a site with plenty of information on eye fatigue and even have a self test you can preform on the internet: Home vision therapy page