How to Learn to Read With Monocular Vision

Even with vision in only one eye, you can enjoy the pleasures of reading again.

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When a person has vision in only one eye, it is called monocular vision. People with monocular vision cannot see as well as they could with two eyes. This is because they have less peripheral vision, and because without two eyes sending information to their brains, they do not have depth perception -- the ability to see how far away something is. These problems can interfere with tasks such as driving and reading. Adapting to monocular vision can make it easier to read, which can help with everything, from selecting a dish on a menu to following current events in the newspaper.

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Shine light from the lamp onto your reading material (for example, a book) so that it is not shining on your eye. One way to do this is to place the lamp behind you, but angle it so the light source falls directly on the book.

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Hold the book directly in front of your eye at a comfortable distance.

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Move the reading material back and forth as you read, instead of moving your eye. This prevents eye fatigue.

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Obtain special spectacles from an optician, such as telescopic spectacles, if the vision in your remaining eye is not perfect.

Tips & Warnings

Reading is affected by the loss of an eye, but not as much as tasks like driving or walking on a sidewalk. See the link in Resources for help with these tasks.

Because you only have vision in one eye, it is especially important that you protect your eye. Consider wearing protective glasses, and having an extra pair in case something happens to the first pair.

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ReferencesArtificial Eyes: Adapting To Monocular VisionNORA; Implications of Acquired Monocular Vision (loss of one eye); Thomas Politzer; September 2007Good Hope Eye Dept; Coping with Loss of Vision in One Eye; Jayne Kempster, et al.ResourcesDiscussion and Support for Those Who Have Lost an Eye to Whatever Cause or Have Monocular VisionPhoto Credit Photos.com/PhotoObjects.net/Getty ImagesRead Next:

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