What is binocular vision?
Binocular vision essentially means seeing with two eyes. It's when the brain combines information from both eyes to generate a unified, single image, which is of superior quality to single eye vision.
It works with the brain typically receiving signals from both (bi) eyes (ocular) at the same time. With good binocular vision, the brain can use the information it receives to better judge distances and coordinate eye movements.
Binocular Vision Disorders (BVD)
Anomalies in binocular vision are some of the most common visual impairments. Essentially, binocular vision dysfunction is when your eyes and brain don't work together correctly.
There are several signs that can be associated with binocular vision disorders; symptoms such as as headaches, eyestrain, double or blurry vision, dizziness, frequent squinting and motion sickness, along with many more.
BVD can also lead to difficulty seeing words on a page or doing activities that require good depth perception. In summary, binocular vision dysfunction can have a detrimental effect on quality of life if left untreated.
Impairments in binocular vision can cause a decrease in stereoscopic vision and depth perception when using both eyes. Some of the causes of BVD are:
| Lazy eye |
Head trauma |
Muscle or nerve irregularities |
| Children who are unable to use both eyes together might have lazy eye or eye turn, known as amblyopia or strabismus. |
Adults can also have binocular vision problems caused by head injuries, traumatic brain injury, strokes, or nerve paralysis. These issues can affect how the eyes work together and cause long-term vision problems. |
Binocular vision disorder can also result from irregularities in your facial muscles or nerves in the eyes. For example, people who have one eye that’s physically higher on their face than the other eye can develop BVD. |
Binocular vision testing
Each standard eye has a blind spot and it's having two eyes that helps to cancel out those blind spots in each other.
Binocular vision testing is a process used to assess how well the eyes work together. An eye examination evaluates the coordination and alignment of both eyes, checking if they are properly synchronised and aligned to provide a single, clear, three-dimensional (3D) image.
Professionals, such as optometrists, ophthalmologists, and occupational health doctors, commonly perform the test. Eye doctors typically perform this test during standard eye check-ups.
It's an essential test for certain occupations where vision in both eyes is mandatory, for example, group 2 drivers. Or if a patient needs to have a certain binocular vision standard to meet job requirements. Other aspects that impact good vision include:
Depth perception
Binocular vision allows humans to perceive depth and see the world in three dimensions. This is crucial for activities such as judging distances, catching objects, and navigating the environment.
Eye alignment
Proper alignment of the eyes is crucial to enable the brain to combine images from each eye into a unified, single image. Misalignment can lead to double vision or other visual discomfort.
Coordination
Binocular vision testing assesses the ability of the eyes to move together smoothly and accurately. This is important for activities that require you to track moving objects, or for our brain to guide our hands in performing certain tasks.
Convergence and divergence
This is when the ability of the eyes to converge (move towards each other) and diverge (move away from each other) is evaluated. Both are essential for activities such as reading screens or books, where the eyes need to converge on close objects.
Stereopsis
Stereopsis refers to the ability to perceive depth and see objects in three dimensions. Binocular vision testing helps determine the degree of stereopsis and can identify issues that might affect depth perception.
Binocular vision treatment
Fortunately, most problems with binocular vision can usually be treated by optometrists. If issues are discovered, they might recommend solutions such as glasses, tailored vision therapy, or other treatments that can assist with improving eye coordination and alignment.
Prism lenses in glasses can also be used to treat BVD. They are designed to correct misalignment by changing how light hits your eyes.
Having a thorough eye exam every year is important, especially during childhood when the eyes are still developing. Regular exams can help catch any possible eye problems early which means solutions are more likely to be found.
Doctors recommend that babies have a complete eye check-up during their first year of life as early detection can improve outcomes.
Vision testers
Our PC-based and desktop vision testers provide occupational health experts with a class-leading vision screening programme.
Designed to provide fast and accurate vision assessments including binocular vision testing, they offer fully customisable test routines and automated data management.
Compact and portable, our vision testers provide significant improvements in workflow and time management for general healthcare practitioners and occupational health personnel.
For more information on our vision screening devices please visit our vision testers webpage, contact our customer support team on +44 (0)1865 880 846 or email.
References
National Library of Medicine, Binocular Vision (Oct 2010). Accessed at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3050089/
National Library of Medicine, Recent understanding of binocular vision in the natural environment with clinical implications (Oct 2021). Accessed at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8983798/