At its core, convergence insufficiency is quite simple: you have two eyes, and those eyes must triangulate to a specific point. If your eyes are not strong enough to hold that point of fixation for a long period of time, you are going to experience significant symptoms. These can manifest as headaches, foggy vision, and various other physical complaints.

The main thing to understand is that this is a binocular vision disorder—an issue that affects your two eyes working together. Many standard eye exams are actually "bi-ocular," meaning the doctor refracts each eye individually to ensure they see clearly at 20 feet, but they may not measure how your eyes actually function as a team.

Finding the Right Specialist

If you pick a random optometrist out of the phone book and mention you have headaches when using a computer, they may not have the specific toolkit to help you. You want to look for a binocular vision specialist who will perform analysis and testing to see how your eyes work together.

To ensure you are seeing a doctor who addresses the brain and eye connection, look for members of these two specialized groups:

• OVDRA: A group of behavioral optometrists who specialize in vision therapy and are highly focused on binocular vision.
• NORA (Neuro-Optometric Rehabilitation Association): These specialists focus on the brain, concussion recovery, and neuro-visual processing.

Common Treatment Paths

These specialists will help you determine the best way to manage your convergence insufficiency. There are a few standard ways to address the problem:

• Vision Therapy: This is the recommended and best way to go. Think of it as bringing your eyes to the gym for a workout to strengthen your ability to converge.
• Prism Lenses: A method of relieving the physical effort your eyes must use to converge. It acts as a support for your visual system.
• Lens Options: If you don't have the time to dedicate 15-20 minutes a day to exercises like the Brock string, specialized lens and eyeglass options can help manage the load.

At Chadwick, we believe your eyes should be treated as a coordinated system, not just two individual parts. We provide the optical hardware to help those systems stay in sync.

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