Convergence Insufficiency

Your eyes are designed to work together as a team to produce a single image. To do this, they both must aim and focus on the same point. This process is known as eye teaming.

When you look at an object up close, your eyes must turn in (converge) in order to maintain proper eye teaming. Convergence Insufficiency (CI) is the inability of the eyes to converge comfortably and sustain convergence while focusing on an object up close, such as a book or computer.

Easily Misdiagnosed as an Attention Disorder
A person with Convergence Insufficiency with find it difficult and uncomfortable to concentrate on reading and other up-close activities for extended periods of time and they will often avoid such activities. As a result, they will have difficulty paying attention when reading or doing up close work and will often avoid these tasks. This is frequently mistake for an attention disorder. Click here to learn more about the relationship between Convergence Insufficiency and ADHD.

Possible Signs and Symptoms Include:

• Reading Slowly

• Loss of Place when Reading and/or Writing

• Difficulty with Concentration at Near-Distance Tasks

• Eye Strain or Tired Eyes

• Headaches

• Blurry Vision

• Double Vision (Diplopia)

• Rubbing or Closing an Eye

• Avoidance of Near-Distance Work

A person with Convergence Insufficiency may find it challenging to work up close comfortably (such as when reading, writing or doing schoolwork) comfortably for extended periods of time and quite often they will avoid such activities.

How is it Treated?

The treatment for Convergence Insufficiency is vision therapy. A specifically prescribed program of twice a week in-office therapy combined with at-home activities has proven to be the best approach to train the brain to utilize both eyes together comfortably and efficiently. The goal is to eliminate the symptoms our patients experience due to their deficient eye teaming skills, so that they are able to read and perform near point activities comfortably, for extended periods, without fatigue.