Have you ever felt a near object to be far away while driving? Then you must have been suffering from Depth Perception issues that need to be treated immediately. Depth Perception is one such term that talks about your ability to see any object in three dimensions and track its movement. When you find it difficult to focus on objects or judge the distance then it’s simply a depth perception issue.
In this article, we will discuss some vital points to administer its causes and probable solution. Moreover, we will also guide you as to how you can test depth perception and get it treated. Keep reading to learn more!
What is Depth Perception?
Tracking down eye issues is easy if you can well understand your symptoms. Even though you have come across this term- Depth Perception, the question arises “What is Depth Perception?”. Depth Perception also referred to as stereopsis is a typical mechanism where the eye allows you to figure out the distance between you and some other object or individual. We humans have binocular vision which allows depth perception to work in order. But some people with monocular vision often find it difficult to understand the exact location of an object.
Let’s now understand how it works. We perceive objects by both our eyes and our brain brings both the images together to form a single one. Hence, vision with only one eye won’t have great depth perception.
How to test Depth Perception?
Depth perception is a kind of eye imperfection that people suffer for years without even knowing. As most of us rely on doctors so unless we consult them we can’t be sure about this. But you can surely test yourself at home to get a hint. You can try out this quick test yourself to administer whether you have depth perception issues or not.
Draw a bright-colored circle on a piece of paper and keep it in front of you at an optimum distance. Extend your hand and hold your index finger onto the circle at a distance of six inches from your face. Focus your vision on the test circle and you may experience two probable cases:
- Slightly faint and blurred image of your finger on both sides of the circle. And, as you move your finger you see the complete circle.
- Next comes the second case, where you may see your finger larger on either of the sides. You may also face a situation where your finger is better seen on one eye or you get only one reflection other than being two.
You have a great depth perception if you face the first case, but you need to worry if it’s the second one. A Depth Perception test this way may not always get you the right assessment but you need not be anxious. Rather, get yourself tested clinically by a doctor for 100% accuracy.
What are the elements involved in Depth Perception?
You need binocular stereoscopic vision to have great depth perception. This means both of your eyes need to work consecutively. Below we have listed some of the essential elements that our eyes use to determine distance.
- Knowing the size of the object helps the brain to determine the distance based on the size of the object on the retina.
- Moving parallax is a condition in which objects at a further distance move slower than the closer ones.
- Stereo vision is a special quality of the eyes that make separate images work together to form a single one.
- Retinal Disparity makes one experience the difference between what they see and what they expect.
- Fusion offers combined images whereas, Interposition offers overlapped images of an object.
- In Linear Perspective the size of the object perceived changes with the change in the distance.
- In an Aerial Perspective, we figure the distance of the object based on its color.
- Light and shade give us the clue of an object’s depth and dimension
- In Monocular Movement parallax the perception of the relative speed of objects changes with the movement of the head.
Depth Perception Issues
After learning what is depth perception, you must also be aware of its outcomes.
Causes
Depth perception is a kind of eye imperfection that comes with other eye issues. Some of them are:
- Blurred Vision: Blurry or hazy vision is a sudden decreased clarity or sharpness of your vision. Though rarely serious, it can also be a symptom of poor depth perception.
- Cranial Nerve Palsy: A condition when an eye nerve does not function properly. one may associate it with abnormal eye movement or double vision. A carnival nerve palsy is complete or partial paralysis of some or various functions of the affected nerve.
- Optic Nerve Hypoplasia: Another childhood condition, when the optic nerve that sends visual signals from your eyes to the brain remains underdeveloped since birth. It can cause partial or complete loss of vision in children.
- Strabismus: When eyes are not aligned. For example, one may turn outward, inward, downward, or upward and the other one in a completely different direction.
- Amblyopia: Also known as “lazy eye” it is a vision error that affects only one eye. It can be an early childhood condition when one or both eyes do not develop vision ability.
- Or, any other eye injury
How does depth perception impact your everyday activities?
Depth perception for a person is the ability to perceive things around in the 3-dimensional space and judge the exact distance of an object (far or close). The lack of depth perception can affect your daily activities in many ways.
Kids’ learning ability: Kids do not notice vision difficulty as you do, however by carefully observing them squinting and moving their head while trying to see, you can inspect their vision issue. The depth perception problem can impact their ability to view boards and thereby cause difficulty in learning.
Driving and navigating roads: Poor depth perception can make driving difficult. People may find trouble syncing images formed by both eyes and determining exactly how far are other vehicles from you and perceiving how quickly other vehicles are merging in your lane.
Sports and other activities: Depth perception is important for athletes to accurately determine how far is it from space, trackball, basket, and other players from you. Thus Poor depth perception can make judging difficult and impact your game.
Solution
If you are struggling with depth perception issues along with any of the above eye problems then you need to take it seriously. Consulting a doctor is a must in this case. But there are some other ways by which you can minimize the effect.
1. Eye exercising:
Try to participate in activities that strengthen the eye muscles.
Eye rolling: Allow your eyes to roam the entire range of vision. Sit with your eyes open and your head straight. Without turning your head, look up, down, to the left, and to the right.
Try pencil push therapy that involves holding a pencil directly in front of your eyes. Now Slowly bring the pencil up to your nose, paying attention to the precise movement of the pencil.
You may also try a beach ball or a balloon. Hang the balloon or ball from the ceiling around two feet away. Now, hit the ball from left to right with your hands. Keep your gaze fixed on the ball with its movement and let your eyes follow it.
By challenging your eye, you can easily see benefits in your depth perception.
2. Rest your eye in light that feels good:
Most people complain about depth perception issues in low-lit areas, while others have issues in super bright areas. If you’re having trouble with darkness, invest in a few bright lights or use brightly coloured tape in strategic locations. If you have problems in bright locations, switch off some lights and rest your eyes in a dark room every now and then.
3. Special Glasses:
Struggling with depth perception while driving? Consider getting anti-glare glasses to control light reaching your eye and drive safely.
Glasses are also prescribed to help people with strabismus. Your doctors will also recommend wearing an eye patch over glasses for people dealing with lazy eye or amblyopia in one eye.
Depth Perception is typically an eye condition that makes your vision weaker. Wearing prescription glasses is highly recommendable. We know you are worried about your depth perception issue. So, we here at Framesbuy have come up with a wider option for prescription glasses to reduce your stress. Check it out now!
