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Writer's pictureDr Steven Hoang

What is Binocular Vision?

Take a moment to think back about the last time you went to see a 3-D movie at the Cineplex. Do you remember how things were out of focused before wearing your 3-D glasses? Then you put them on and ta-da! You’re seeing things pop left, right, and centre. So now you ask, how does this work? That our friends requires us to talk about binocular vision.


Binocular vision is the ability for animals and humans to combine or fuse information from two individually functioning eyeballs. When we focus our eyes on an object or image, we are actually seeing two offset images as a result of our eyes set apart from each other. Our brain translates these two slightly offset images into one single coherent image. Without binocular vision, we wouldn’t be able to adequately judge distance and depth i.e. see things pop!


Advantages:

  • Increased depth perception

    • Pouring water into a cup

    • Catching or hitting fast moving targets

    • Judging how quickly a car is approaching while crossing roads

  • Ability to discern distance

  • Accurate judge of speed and velocity

  • Eye-hand coordination - not be clumsy

Disadvantages:

  • At risk of disorders and anomalies including

    • Amblyopia

    • Strabismus

    • Myopia

    • Diplopia (double vision)

    • Blurred vision, headache and asthenopia (eyestrain)

Our comprehensive exam by our licensed Optometrist can properly diagnose amblyopia. The earlier it is detected, the higher the success rate of treating it.

This is why our optometrist recommends a child’s eye health exam should be between 6-12 months and then annually.



About the Author Dr. Steven Hoang received his Doctor of Optometry at the University of Waterloo. He serves as the owner and full-time eye doctor of Inglewood and Ramsay at Respect Eyecare. His special interest is in contact lenses and dry eye syndrome.

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