What Is Monovision?
The basic definition of monovision is the adjustment of one eye for near vision and of the other for distance vision. This means that each eye is operating separately instead of working together. If you were to choose monovision, your dominant eye, or the one that would be used to focus on a camera, would become the distance eye and the other would be used for near vision.
How Monovision is Achieved
The corrections used to create monovision can be done:
· Surgically with laser vision correction
· With IOLs (intraocular lenses)
· Traditionally with something like contact lenses
In most cases, your ophthalmologist may recommend trying contact lenses with monovision to see how you adapt to it before choosing permanent monovision through LASIK surgery. If monovision is created using laser vision correction and is not well tolerated, it may be reversed by having LASIK treatment on the other eye to make them the same.
How Monovision Works
Even though monovision may sound strange because we are used to our eyes working together, it can have its advantages. Monovision works because the brain chooses whichever image is appropriate for the task at hand, and ignores or filters out the blurry image from the other eye. This method is one type of vision known as simultaneous vision. For example,
· If you are reading and need near vision, the far vision image will be filtered out
· If you are driving and need far vision, the near vision image will be filtered out
Most people can easily adjust to monovision in time, but some people have difficulty with it.
Side Effects
There are some reported side effects of monovision, such as:
· Loss of sharpness,
· Decrease in depth perception
· Blurred near vision.
People who require very sharp vision for a hobby or occupation may not be pleased with monovision results. Monovision may require people to give up a small amount of distance vision to gain close up vision. There are also reports of seeing shadows when attempting to read small print. To correct some of these problems, people with monovision may need prescription glasses for things such as night driving.
However, the cost of monovision is lower than some other options like bifocal or multifocal implantable lenses.
Monovision may be the solution you are looking for if you want to preserve both near vision and distance vision, especially if you are over age 40-45. This is when presbyopia creeps up on us. Presbyopia is stiffening of the lens so that it can’t change its curvature so readily in order to accommodate itself to near vision. Reading glasses become necessary.
As with other vision correction solutions, you should discuss monovision thoroughly with your ophthalmologist to determine whether or not you would benefit from it. Dr. Jonathan Davidorf in West Hills, California offers more information about monovision on his website.
If you or a family member is considering vision correction, monovision may be the choice for you. For more information about monovision, as well as other types of vision correction, contact Dr. Jonathan Davidorf and the Davidorf Eye Group in West Hills, California.
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