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What is anisometropia?Very few people are born with two eyes of identical optical power, but the brain manages to compensate and it’s usually unnoticeable. However, when a person has anisometropia, the difference in vision between their two eyes is significant and will interfere with normal binocular vision. In practice, they will see a smaller image in one eye and a larger image in the other eye. The result is that their overall vision is often blurred. Another potential outcome from anisometropia is amblyopia (lazy eye), which can occur if one eye has blurred vision for some time and becomes permanently weaker. Sometimes anisometropia can be present at birth, although frequently it won’t become apparent until later in life. It has been estimated that around six percent of all children aged between six and eighteen suffer from this visual condition. Types of anisometropiaThere are three types of anisometropia:
Symptoms of anisometropiaThere are a number of potential symptoms, including:
CausesEven people who have normal vision can have up to 5% difference in the refractive power of each eye. However, those with a 5–20% difference will experience uneven vision (anisometropia). Causes include defects in the eye at childbirth as well as uneven size of the two eyes. TreatmentIt is important to treat anisometropia as soon as it is diagnosed. Untreated, the brain can decide to select the eye that presents the clearer image, and then ignore the other eye. This can lead to a dependence on the stronger eye. The neglected eye will become progressively weaker; therefore it is important to seek treatment before the issue becomes acute. There are several ways that anisometropia can be treated, depending on the severity. For some, the difference between the two eyes is manageable, especially with a minimal difference. Other patients may require corrective lenses, contact lenses or corrective surgery. When contact lenses or corrective lenses are used, each lens will need to be a different prescription to be effective. Generally speaking, glasses are not suitable for those with very large degrees of anisometropia. Due to their magnification effect, glasses can create a considerable difference in the size of the image seen by each eye and can actually prevent good binocular vision. Ask a questionBook a consultation The information on this page is general in nature. All medical and surgical procedures have potential benefits and risks. Consult your ophthalmologist for specific medical advice. It’s rare to find patients with the same refractive power in both their eyes. The majority of people have different refractive powers in their eyes. However, they barely notice the difference because the brain compensates for the difference in refractive powers. There’s usually an up to 5% difference in refractive power in the eyes of patients with normal vision. Any more than that and the patient is likely to develop anisometropia, explains low vision specialist Joel H McGahen OD. What Is Anisometropia?Anisometropia is a condition that develops when the difference in refractive powers in both eyes is more than one diopters (D). Patients with the condition see a larger image in the stronger eye and a smaller image in the other eye. There are three types of anisometropia: simple anisometropia (happens when only one eye has a refractive error), compound anisometropia (happens when both eyes are farsighted and nearsighted) and mixed anisometropia (when both eyes have refractive errors but one is nearsighted and the other is farsighted). What Are the Risk Factors for the Condition?Medical experts still don’t know the factors that cause anisometropia, but a large difference in the refractive powers in both eyes is definitely a contributing factor. What Are the Symptoms?Over time, the brain may favor the stronger eye over the weaker one, resulting in blurred vision. General symptoms include:
How Is It Treated?It depends on the severity of the condition. Potential treatment options include corrective lenses, contact lenses or laser eye surgery, which is usually only recommended for severe cases of anisometropia. Keep in mind it’s important that the condition is diagnosed and treated early on. Otherwise, the brain may start to favor one eye and cause the other eye to weaken. If you have kids, we recommend taking them to the eye doctor for an eye exam every two years. It’s estimated that roughly 6% of all children aged 6 to 18 suffer from anisometropia. The sooner the condition is diagnosed and treated, the better. To learn more about the treatment options, consult an optometrist. Joel H McGahen OD offers professional eye care services. To schedule a consultation, call us at (717) 264-4012 or fill out this form. Talk to us today! We serve Shippensburg and Greencastle, PA, as well as the surrounding communities in Pennsylvania. How common is it to be nearsighted in one eye and farsighted in the other?Although much less common, it is possible to have one nearsighted and one farsighted eye - this is a unique subset of anisometropia called antimetropia. Anisometropia is actually fairly common. An estimated 20% of people have an inter-ocular difference of 0.5D or greater, and 2-3% have a difference of 3D or more.
Can anisometropia be corrected?Treatment for anisometropia can involve corrective lenses or surgery. Corrective lenses are only good for those with a difference between their eyes of 4D or less. Children under 12 and those with severe anisometropia are generally advised to use contacts, while others can often use glasses for correction.
Can you be farsighted in one eye and normal in the other?Yes, your eyes can have such different vision that one eye is farsighted and the other is nearsighted. This is an uncommon condition called antimetropia.
What causes nearsightedness in one eye?Refractive errors
Nearsightedness usually results from the eye being too long or oval-shaped rather than round. It may also result from the curve of the cornea being too steep. These changes result in light rays coming to a point in front of the retina and crossing.
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One eye is nearsighted the other farsighted
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