Depth perception is an important part of our ability to perceive the world around us. It allows us to see objects in three dimensions and judge distances between them, which can be especially important in sports or other physical activities. So, can vision therapy help improve depth perception?

Read on as a Washington, DC vision therapy optometrist talks about poor depth perception and how vision therapy can help.

How Does Depth Perception Work?

People with normal binocular vision have two eyes that work together to produce a single image in their brain’s visual cortex. This allows us to see objects as having three dimensions: height, width, and depth (distance).

Many people who suffer from poor binocular vision have trouble perceiving these dimensions accurately because one eye sends different information to the brain than the other does. This causes a lack of coordination between the images your eyes send to your brain. In effect, this misalignment between the eyes can skew how you perceive depth in your surroundings.

What Causes Poor Depth Perception?

Poor depth perception is a specific visual problem in which a person has difficulty discerning the true distance of objects. This can be caused by many different problems with the visual system and the brain, not just the eyes.

Other conditions that can limit your depth perception include:

Eye problems, such as strabismus, convergence insufficiency, and amblyopia
Aging, which affects the way the visual system works and how information is processed in the brain
Certain medications, including some blood pressure and heart medications
Brain injury or disease, such as an eye injury or stroke

How Vision Therapy Can Help

Vision therapy helps people with poor depth perception by training the brain to better process the images it receives. In order to work on these issues, vision therapists may use exercises like eye tracking and focusing that help improve coordination between the eye muscles.

Ultimately, this treatment approach involves training the brain to produce clear images by using exercises that retrain the eyes and brain to work together as they should. For example, one exercise might involve wearing glasses with lenses that are different from each other in order to make the eyes focus differently on an object or pattern than they usually would—this essentially forces them into seeing more clearly again!

So if you experience problems with depth perception, an optometrist who specializes in vision therapy is best trained and equipped to identify the underlying cause and recommend effective treatments.

And if you have more questions or wish to schedule a consultation, please feel free to call us, your local Washington, DC vision therapy optometrist, today!