What Is Convergence Insufficiency?

Ever felt like your eyes are having a hard time cooperating or focusing? You might be dealing with Convergence Insufficiency (CI), a common eye condition.

Let’s discuss everything you need to know about CI, from its symptoms to the causes, diagnosis, and effective treatment options.

What is Convergence Insufficiency?

In simple terms, Convergence Insufficiency (CI) is like a teamwork problem between your eyes. It's a common eye condition where your eyes struggle to work together smoothly when you're focusing on something close-up, like a book, phone, or computer screen.

Normally, your eyes should work in sync and turn slightly inward to lock onto a nearby object, giving you clear, single vision. But with CI, one or both eyes might drift outward instead.

Things might look fuzzy or like you're seeing double, especially when you're reading or doing close work. Your eyes could also feel tired, achy, or uncomfortable after focusing for a while.

These visual problems can make it hard to focus and can even affect reading comprehension or academic performance. The good news is that CI is often treatable, and with the right help, you can get back to clear, comfortable vision.

What are the Symptoms of Convergence Insufficiency?

Common symptoms of CI include:

• Eye strain (asthenopia)
• Headaches
• Blurred vision
• Double vision (diplopia)
• Difficulty concentrating
• Trouble focusing
• Short attention span
• Frequent loss of place while reading
• Words appearing to move, jump, or float on the page
• Tired or sore eyes
• Squinting, rubbing, or closing one eye

What Causes Convergence Insufficiency?

Although CI isn’t fully understood, it seems to be caused by a combination of different things. For example, the muscles controlling inward eye movements may not be as strong as they should be.

It may be caused by issues with how the brain signals the eyes to work together. Head injuries, stress, and close-up focusing (reading, screen time, etc.) can also contribute to CI.

Additionally, CI can be hereditary and is particularly common in children and young adults. Fortunately, CI can be managed with proper treatment and support.

Convergence Insufficiency Risk Factors

Prolonged computer use, playing video games for longer than 4 hours, and visually demanding work can increase your risk of developing CI. It’s also associated with health conditions that stem from a nerve or autoimmune disorder, such as:

• Graves’ disease
• Myasthenia gravis
• Parkinson’s disease
• Alzheimer’s disease

How is Convergence Insufficiency Diagnosed?

You’ll need to get a comprehensive eye exam to diagnose CI. Specifically, you’ll need an exam that tests how your eyes work together.

Here are some examples:

• Close-up check. Measures how close you can bring a target before it doubles. This is the near point of the convergence test.
• Eye cover-up. This shows if the eyes are misaligned and helps figure out which way.
• Prism. Prisms are like temporary glasses that help align things. Measuring how much prism it takes to fix the double vision gives info on the severity of your CI.

Additionally, there are questionnaires specifically designed for CI. They’ll ask you about specific symptoms and how much they bother you to get the whole picture.

Treatment Options for Convergence Insufficiency

Vision therapy is the main treatment option for CI. It includes exercises you can do in-office with a specialist and ones you can do at home to build strength and coordination.

Other treatment options include:

• Prism glasses. These special lenses shift the image, helping your eyes see a single image. They’re often a short-term solution for CI.
• Computer programs. Uses interactive software to challenge your eye’s focusing ability. They’re not a replacement for in-person therapy.
• Surgery. Surgery is only used in severe cases. Although it can adjust the eye muscles, therapy is recommended for most people.

Overall, CI is treatable, but it takes a considerable amount of effort. Treatment won’t fix CI overnight but don’t get discouraged.

How to Manage Convergence Insufficiency

Various things can be done at home to manage CI. One of the most common exercises involves bringing a pencil close to your face and keeping it a single image until it doubles. Over time, you can hold your focus closer.

Aside from improving how your eyes work together, there are ways to manage discomfort and reduce eye strain from CI. These include:

• Blinking more, especially when using computers
• Rolling your eyes to ease tension
• Switch focus from something close to something far away
• Warm compresses to relax eye muscles

If your child has CI, he may need accommodations in school. Talk to their teacher about sitting in front, taking breaks to reduce eye strain, and using reading aids like larger prints or colored overlays.

Although convergence insufficiency is a common condition, it’s easily treatable. It’s important to get an early diagnosis and start treatment as soon as possible. Don’t hesitate to seek help from an eye care professional if you or your child has CI.