The Different Types of Eye Dominance

Regardless of how we’re taught in school or where we live, we always tend to favor one part of the body over the other. This dominance is most recognizable with which hand we use for writing, brushing our teeth, or other daily tasks, but did you know that people can also have a dominant eye? It works similarly to being left- or right-handed, but not everyone is aware of their dominant eye. Trusted eye care specialist Vienna Eyecare Center shares their insight:

Knowing How Ocular Dominance Works

It’s normal for people to have a dominant eye. This doesn’t affect the eyes’ vision or how they work together, but it’s more of the body preferring one eye over the other. The preferred eye still locates and identifies objects normally but relays the information more accurately. This means the dominant eye gives a slightly better input to the visual cortex of the brain.

Ocular dominance is nothing to be concerned about since it varies from person to person. But it’s a different story if you have certain eye conditions such as amblyopia or strabismus. Make sure to have your eyes checked by a trusted eye doctor as soon as possible to prevent any eye conditions from worsening!

Ocular Dominance Types

The best way to find out your dominant eye is by getting your eyes checked at a professional eye care center. This is where they’ll perform a series of techniques such as the Miles test. There are cases where some people don’t have a dominant eye but have a mixed/alternating ocular dominance. This means certain functions or tasks are dominant for one eye while other activities are dominant with the other, and can vary depending on the situation.

Eye dominance comes in different types such as motor dominance, sensory dominance, and sighting dominance. Motor dominance is where one eye is less likely to lose fixation at the near point of convergence. Sensory dominance refers to one of your eyes having a stronger vision than the other. Sighting dominance is where you prefer one eye over the other when fixating on a target.

If you’re looking for a reputable optometrist for your eye exam, Vienna Eyecare Center is a name you can trust! Set up an appointment today by calling (208) 514-1858 or fill out our convenient contact form. We serve our customers in Fairfax and the surrounding VA areas.

Dr. Richard Snively