When it comes to eye issues, surgery isn’t always the answer. In some cases, patients can better benefit from vision therapy. This is a form of neurological therapy that serves to strengthen the neurological pathways between the brain and the eyes.
Interested in learning more about it? Then read on. Here’s everything you need to know about vision therapy in Houston.
What Is Vision Therapy?
First and foremost, let’s discuss what vision therapy is. This is a form of therapy in which an eye doctor administers vision exercises on a regular basis. The more these exercises are done, the better the eyes get at picking up specific stimuli, and the more the patient’s vision improves overall.
Vision therapy is done weekly or bi-weekly and usually involves 30-minute to hour-long sessions. Therapy continues in perpetuity until the patient’s eye issues have subsided.
There are all kinds of exercises carried out during a vision therapy session. The patient will look through various lenses as well as through filters and prisms. The eye doctor will sometimes make use of occluders so as to focus on one specific eye at a time.
Therapy is personalized and tailored to the specific patient. Therefore, everyone’s experience will differ slightly from others.
The end goal of vision therapy is to strengthen the neurological pathways that connect the eyes to the brain. The stronger these become, the clearer and more precise a person’s vision will be.
What to Expect During Vision Therapy Sessions
During a vision therapy session, the patient will speak to their eye doctor at length to determine the state of their vision as well as any progress that has been made. It’s important for the eye doctor to monitor the patient’s progress to determine whether specific exercises are effective.
After the initial discussion, the doctor will carry out a range of exercises and tests. These tests vary based on the patient’s needs but generally involve forcing the affected eye(s) to do something that they’re not comfortable with.
When therapy first begins, the affected eye(s) will struggle to complete these exercises. Over time, however, they’ll become more accustomed to them and will show progress.
In some cases, the patient will be instructed to do eye exercises at home as well. If this is the case, it’s important that the patient follows through. If they don’t, they could struggle to ever achieve positive results.
How to Determine Whether You Need Vision Therapy
If you think that you might need vision therapy, you’ll first need to undergo a vision test. During this test, your eye doctor will test your eyesight, your eye motility, and more, determining whether your vision is within the standard realm.
If it’s deemed that your vision doesn’t meet the standard, then vision therapy might very well be recommended. In any case, you’ll need to consult with a professional eye doctor first.
Conditions Treated By Vision Therapy
Now, you might be wondering: what types of conditions can be treated by vision therapy? There are quite a few, some of the most prominent of which include the following:
Amblyopia
Amblyopia is a condition commonly found in young children in which the eyes aren’t properly connected to the brain. Because of this, these children can have trouble, for example, operating both eyes at once, or seeing clearly with both eyes at the same time. Some children are even nearsighted in one eye while farsighted in another.
Vision therapy can help treat this condition by strengthening the neuropathways that connect the eyes and the brain.
Strabismus
Better known as cross-eyedness, strabismus is a condition in which the patient isn’t able to align both eyes simultaneously. Because of this, one eye typically points at a different angle than the other.
Strabismus can be treated with vision therapy by slowly getting the affected eye to adjust to various images and stimuli.
Focusing Issues
Most people are able to focus their eyes naturally without struggle. Others have focusing issues, and therefore have to strain in order to see things adequately.
Fortunately, for the latter, vision therapy exists. This can help to train a person’s eyes, thereby improving their focus over time.
Oculomotor Dysfunction
Another problem that can be treated with vision therapy is oculomotor dysfunction. This describes the eye’s inability to quickly and properly track moving objects. Those who suffer from this also often suffer from learning disabilities, as they’re not able to keep up with concepts in class.
Vision therapy can help train their eyes while also building up the muscles that support them. Over time, therapy can provide 100% effective results.
Visual Processing Problems
As a child develops, their eyes become increasingly better at transmitting visual information to the brain. Unfortunately, some children run into roadblocks in this area and fall behind their peers when it comes to processing and storing information visually.
As you might expect, this can have a strong negative effect on the child’s ability to retain information. This can, in turn, negatively impact them academically.
Vision therapy slowly trains the brain to connect with the eyes, helping a child to improve their visual processing over time.
Looking for Houston Vision Therapy Services?
Do you think that you can benefit from vision therapy exercises? Looking for a vision therapy center in Houston? Look no further than EZ Opticals.
We offer vision therapy to patients of all ages. Regardless of the vision problem you’re dealing with, we will help you slowly but surely overcome it.
Contact us now to schedule your first appointment!