Monovision- A Basic Guide

Vision is one of the best gifts bestowed upon us by the Mother Nature. However due to aging or other health complications we might experience some problems with our vision. To correct these problems many ways have been introduced. One such way is Monovision.

Monovision basically is a process in which one eye is adjusted for near vision and the other one for distance vision. This optical mechanism of monovision renders each eye to operate separately, rather than working together.

The mechanism is based on the simple concept that the brain chooses an appropriate image for a particular task. The brain automatically ignores or filters out the blurry image from the other eye. For an instance if we are reading a book, we need near vision. In such a case far vision image will be filtered out. Similarly at the time of driving a car when far vision is needed the near vision image will automatically be filtered out.

There are many ways to achieve monovision. The first one is with the help of a surgery that involves a laser vision correction. The other method is using IOLs or intraocular lenses. Finally the traditional contact lenses can also be used to achieve monovision.

In most of the cases the opthamologists recommend using contact lenses with monovision. This is regarded as a test to check the adaptation capability of the patient. The results are then considered for choosing permanent monovision through LASIK surgery also known as Lasik monovision.

For making monovision process to be a success both the eyes need to have their best vision. In case one of the eyes has significantly poorer vision, the brain will have to struggle to shift visual attention from one eye to the other.

Adjusting monovision can be easy for some people and difficult for others. It generally takes six to eight weeks for a brain to start favor one eye over the other for different tasks. The brain makes the judgment based on the range of vision needed for the purpose.

During the early few weeks, the vision may not adapt well to the changes. For best results both the eyes should not be used together. Also some people may experience a blurry distance vision, also they may feel that the eyes fatigue very easily with reading. Some people may even see double vision, dizziness, nausea, and blurred vision. However it is just experienced in the early stages.

Like any other optical correction methods, monovision also has some risks. The risks of monovision include a loss of sharpness of vision. There is also a risk of a decrease in depth perception and a blurred near vision.

However the risks of monovision are not very common. In fact they are nothing compared to the monovision results, that help many people get rid of their spectacles and gain a better vision.

Contact Lenses