Contact Lens vs Spectacles

[kayheem]

I agree with Kay Heem. It is most likely a latent squint (esotropia - means squint). When the visual axis of the eyes are out of alignment, no image fusion will occur. It is not likely to be faulty equipment since you can fuse the image.

There are ophthalmologists who specialise in this problem. If your friend needs to see a specialist, I can recommend him to one at TTSH Eye Centre. If he/she goes thru the polyclinic, it is cheaper as it is subsidised but you cannot chose the specialist you want.

what kind of test I have to take for that. Sometime I have to use microscope(those for electronic work) for my work and I have hard time to fuse two image. I end up using just my right eye to avoid uncertainty.

What I can test at my medical centre is the 3D test (titmus test), Maddox wing and rod for squint assessment and a cover/uncover test. I also use a binocular microscope here which you can try. PM me for further details.

Mods, sorry for the OT.

[rlow]

Thanks to Kayheem, Siahheng and Alvin for your invaluable input. I will convey these info to my friend. Probably he would have read this already!

[Canopus Lim]

A bit off topic, I have read on the internet that there are such things as eye training (which are courses..need to pay money) which can lead to dramatic increases in vision if one practises on certain image objects on a regular basis; sort of like training the eye to see better and it claims that vision can be improved and that spectacles will not help our vision to improve.

Is that a good thing for the eye and is such kind of courses true?

Also, for short sighted person like me, is it better to not wear spectacles when I look at near things, and only use spectacles when I look at far things? Will wearing spectacles and using them for both near/far make the eye too reliant on spectacles and the eye muscles weak - leading to worsening vision?

[kayheem]

A bit off topic, I have read on the internet that there are such things as eye training (which are courses..need to pay money) which can lead to dramatic increases in vision if one practises on certain image objects on a regular basis; sort of like training the eye to see better and it claims that vision can be improved and that spectacles will not help our vision to improve.

Is that a good thing for the eye and is such kind of courses true?

Also, for short sighted person like me, is it better to not wear spectacles when I look at near things, and only use spectacles when I look at far things? Will wearing spectacles and using them for both near/far make the eye too reliant on spectacles and the eye muscles weak - leading to worsening vision?

Ha..ha..ha.. Wars have been started over this topic. Please start another thread before the mods step in!

Anyway, if observers do not have much astig, it would be better just to remove the glasses when observing.

[alvinsclee]

... but my friend could only see two images moving closer and apart...

The "moving closer and apart" part of the statement set me thinking about "intermittent strabismus" as well. However, I assumed that Rlow's friend has no binocular vision problems when not using optical equipment, as it wasn't mentioned. Thus, I focussed on equipment optics and the individual's optometry (discussing the extreme diopter difference issue and the PD issue).

Nevertheless, it is truly wise to have a full eye checkup done by the specialists to exclude other serious underlying causes.

A bit off topic, I have read on the internet that there are such things as eye training (which are courses..need to pay money) which can lead to dramatic increases in vision if one practises on certain image objects on a regular basis; sort of like training the eye to see better and it claims that vision can be improved and that spectacles will not help our vision to improve...

I would proceed with caution regarding these sort of miraculous claims. Vision exercises may help, but either the therapeutic effects are not truly lasting, or the exercises may be suitable for certain vision problems only. Here is one of the better links to read some examples of accomodation problems and related therapeutic treatments:

http://www.strabismus.org/types_treatments.html

I have no strong comments regarding the vision training claims. Just remember that it will always be wise for us to exercise the "buyers beware" sense of caution as consumers.


Back on topic
This link would be helpful for the visually-challenged (spectacles-wearer or contact lens-wearer):

http://astronomy.concreteairship.com/sc ... e.htm#eyes