Binocular/3D vision

[AuntieBulgaria]

Hello,

I've had crap eyesight since I was little. From what I can tell I had bilateral squint surgery before I was one and patching until I was 4 ish.

One of the surgeries worked, with my long sight and astigmatism corrected by glasses (about +3.75), I can see fine out of my right eye. My left eye has a balance lens presciption in.

Without my glasses, I cannot read the top line of the eye chart using my left eye. Actually even with my glasses, with my right eye closed, I'm mostly guessing. But I do have a wider field of vision with both eyes open than with the left closed, so the left one muct be doing something.

Until very recently, this didn't bother me at all. I can't see 3d-ness in films or 'magic eye' pictures and I'm a bit crap at ball sports but I can drive and I wasn't conscious of my vision being different to others'.

But recently I've become more aware of the fact that mostly I'm seeing out of my right eye. And if, for any reason, there was a problem with my right eye, I'd have very litttle vision at all. I'm also wondering what I'm missing? Is what I'm seeing significantly different to what others see?

I don't know if things have moved on in treatment or understanding of this sort of thing in the last 30 years? Is there someone I could ask to see via my doctor to find out if there could be any change in my vision at this late stage?

thanks very much

I have a binocular vision issue, and most of the time my left eye doesn't do a lot, though it has full correction in the lenses. But if I make it, it does work.

I get the impressioon that things haven't changed a lot, but if it worries you, ask if you can see an opthamologist

Sorry, yes, my vision hasn't changed. It's just having thought about it more recently (DD is seeing the hospital orthoptist and has no problems with the 3d test), I have just become conscious of the fact the mostly it's my right eye doing the work.

You have an amblyopic eye.
Because you have a stronger prescription in that eye your other eye took over during the period of visual development (before the age of 6-8). Because the other eye took over your amblyopic eye (or lazy eye) never had the chance to develop properly, which is partially why you can't see out of your left eye clearly. Its also likely that your left eye has a very strong prescription +7.00?? with astigamtism.
Eyes require visual experience ie a clear view to develop properly, which is why some children wear a patch to force the bad eye to work properly, if one eye is much worse than the other or its done too late or not enough, the bad eye is always much worse than the other. (its usually a little worse anyway)

Anyway, next time you see the Optometrist, ask them to put your full prescription in your left eye, you will probably see much further down the chart.
They wouldn'd normally put this into your glasses as it would give you double vision, but depending in how well your eyes work together it is possible that you could wear contact lenses.
Patching does seem to work too in adults, although there is a risk of intractable diplopia (ie permenant double vision) so its not somehting that's usually recommended unless there's a problem with the good eye. One of my patients was punched in her good eye outside Victoria Station and ended up with a retinal detachment and poorer sight in her previosuly good eye. Her amblyopic eye did take over and the vision improved dramatically.

Thank you Karoleann, that's very useful perspective. You'd think I'd know more about it myself but because my sight has been like this for 35 years, I've never asked about it.

Hi AuntieBulgaria,

You left a post on my other thread.

Looks like you got a good answer from Karoleann! But here is my tuppence worth too!

Similar to what K said, at your next eye test ask your optometrist to show you what your "best corrected" vision is with your left eye. This will show you the true level of vision of this eye. If you are wearing a balance lens then that means they are putting a lens in that is equal to your other eye so the lenses are the same thickness. They do this when someone has an amblyopic eye that doesnt need to be corrected, it purely makes your glasses look better.

Amblyopia is the fancy name for when the vision is reduced from childhood (caused by a squint and/or need for stronger prescription). When there is a squint involved you also have something we call suppression. Suppression lets you ignore the image from your main viewing point of your left eye but doesn't switch off your peripheral vision. So its still a very useful eye!

Just take care of your eyes. Safety glasses/goggles for sport or DIY or gardening are worth the geekyness if it protects your eyes!!

Thank you for tracking my post down cheekyginger and for the clear explanations. I recognise the term amblyopia.

I know this may be a difficult question to answer but, is what I see the same as what everyone else sees?

I have this too. In answer to the ''do I see what everyone else sees' the answer is no, but as I'm the same I'm not sure what they see! My optician tested me - along with the usual 'where does the green line cross the red?' 'Um, it doesn't' -by showing me two lines and asking which was nearer. I said neither, and she said I had no depth perception. My partner was a bit concerned by this, because I drive, but if you google you see there are various other types of perception that help make up for it. I too would love to know what other people see, but it's not going to happen. Btw, if you get your child's eyes tested at 18 months or so, they'll be able to pick this up and help both eyes to develop properly. I think everyone should do it, it's so worth it.