Prism lenses can be effectively used to treat vision conditions, such as double vision and other binocular vision difficulties.
One of the most common uses for an eye doctor prescribing prisms is to treat a condition known as Binocular Visual Dysfunction (BVD).
Prisms, by definition, are triangular in shape, and made of plastic or glass for the purpose of dispersing light into a spectrum, or changing the direction in which light is reflected.
Prism lenses are special lenses that are prescribed by eye doctors and infused into regular lens prescriptions. They do not contain any focusing power, and therefore cannot correct any refractive errors.
Prisms “trick” the eye into believing that an object is in a different location in order to improve eye alignment. This helps the eyes to perceive images in a way that single vision can be achieved— improving binocular vision, and reducing double vision, headaches, reading difficulties, and more.
A prism lens can be base out, base in, base up, or base down, depending on the way the eye is turned or misaligned.
When are prism lenses prescribed?
Prism lenses are prescribed for patients who suffer from severe binocular vision difficulties and double vision, most commonly resulting from:
Visual problems caused by:
- Binocular Visual Dysfunction
- Strabismus
- Myasthenia gravis
- Graves’ disease
- Convergence insufficiency
Neurological problems caused by:
- Stroke
- Migraine
- Head injury
- Tumor
- Diabetes mellitus
- Multiple sclerosis
Contact an eye doctor near if you or a family member suffer from any of these signs above, prism lenses may be the solution to eliminate these signs.
SEE RELATED: How Are Prisms Used in Vision Therapy?
Are prism lenses a long term solution?
While prism lenses will help to relieve double vision while you are wearing your glasses, they cannot help your double vision when you remove your glasses. Therefore, prisms may only be a temporary solution.
Vision therapy
If you are searching for a long term solution for your double vision or binocular vision difficulties, speak with your doctor about vision therapy.
Vision therapy retrains your eye-brain connections to improve your visual skills for clearer, single vision, with or without your eyeglasses.
LEARN MORE: Guide to Neuro-Optometry
Schedule an appointment with an eye doctor near you to find out if prism lenses could be the solution you have looking for.
If you suffer from double vision or binocular vision difficulties, prism lenses can be prescribed to improve your clarity of vision— enabling a more comfortable way of seeing.
