Whether you wear eyeglasses or not, it’s perfectly normal for individuals to have some slight differences in the refractive power of their eyes. There is no such thing as perfect 20-20 vision as most eyes can differ in refraction by about 5%. This doesn’t usually pose any problems as the differences are too small to notice. However, in some individuals, refractive power can vary by more than 5% leading to what is called anisometropia.
It’s still unclear to doctors what causes anisometropia. When this happens, one eye may see things a little bigger than the other eye, causing blurry vision. As a result, one eye becomes “stronger” than the other, making the brain favor the stronger eye over the weaker one.
What Happens When You Have Anisometropia?
One of the reasons why a regular eye exam is important is to catch signs of vision problems early. One such problem that can be detected in its early stages is anisometropia. When left untreated, this condition can lead to amblyopia or a severe imbalance in refractive powers between the two eyes. People with anisometropia typically experience the following symptoms:
- Dizziness and headaches
- Nausea
- Eye and vision discomfort
- Loss or impairment of depth perception
How Is Anisometropia Treated?
If caught early, your eye doctor can prescribe corrective glasses or lenses to treat anisometropia before it becomes worse. Depending on the severity of the condition, surgery may be necessary to correct the signs of anisometropia. Corrective eyeglasses and contact lenses meant for this condition are designed to have different refractive powers to give each eye the right amount of correction that it needs.
At Guilford Eye Center, our doctors can help you manage anisometropia and other vision problems. Give us a call at (336) 292-4516, or fill out our contact form to schedule a consultation with our eye care specialists today. We serve patients in Greensboro and other nearby areas.
