Vision for Life is looking for new patients to participate in a clinical study beginning this summer for people with convergence insufficiency. Up to 13% of Americans have convergence insufficiency (CI) – the inability of both eyes to work together to focus for near distances.
Most people are unaware that they even have CI. It is the leading cause for misdiagnosis of ADHD, because it causes the same symptoms doctors label as ADHD, including a short attention span. CI is also considered one of the leading causes of eyestrain, headaches, blurred vision, and double vision.
Persons with CI will often experience the following symptoms while doing near work, such as reading, schoolwork, computer work, or cell phone usage. Symptoms will worsen with illness, lack of sleep, anxiety, and/or prolonged close work.
- Eyestrain
- Headaches
- Blurred vision
- Double vision
- Inability to concentrate
- Short attention span
- Frequent loss of place
- Squinting, rubbing, closing or covering an eye
- Sleepiness during the activity
- Difficulty remembering what was read
- Words appear to move or jump around
- Motion sickness and/or vertigo
With CI, it is common for one eye to turn slightly out when trying to focus up close. The brain then ignores this eye to avoid conflicting messages. This suppression, which is generally not recognized by the sufferer, can result in a loss of vision and depth perception. This can affect hand-eye coordination for sports and daily activities, as well as judgment of distance, often leading to clumsiness, tripping or falls, as well as bicycle and car accidents.
For the purposes of our study, we are accepting 15 new patients ages 6-50, and will offer evaluation and treatment at a significantly reduced cost. Certain diagnostic conditions will apply when choosing candidates for the study. Details will be discussed at the initial evaluation.
If you have any of the above symptoms and would like to be evaluated and considered for the study, call us for more information or to schedule an appointment. If we diagnose you with CI and accept you as a patient, treatment is a program that includes vision therapy and colored light therapy. It promises to be a life-altering experience for those chosen to participate and undergo treatment. The results of our study will be announced upon completion.
If we evaluate and diagnose you with a different vision condition for which we can help, we offer several options for treatment. Please help us spread the word!