March 27, 2025
When most people think about their vision, the first question that comes to mind is, “Do I have 20/20 eyesight?” And while 20/20 vision is often considered the gold standard, it’s only one piece of the puzzle. In reality, you can have “perfect” eyesight and still struggle with your vision every single day.
At Miami Vision Therapy, we believe patients deserve a more complete understanding of their visual system. We’re here to offer a public service announcement that might just change how you think about your next eye exam.
Eyesight is what we measure on the eye chart. It refers to how clearly you can see an object at a distance. If you can read the smallest row of letters, you’re told you have 20/20 vision.
But vision is much more than clarity. It’s how your eyes focus, team together, and track objects in space. These skills allow you to read comfortably, drive safely, maintain balance, and even pay attention in school or at work. If these systems are off—even slightly—you may feel dizzy, tired, strained, or frustrated, even if your eyesight is "perfect."
This is the difference Dr. Eric Chow, OD, a binocular vision specialist and founder of Miami Vision Therapy, sees every day. Patients walk into our office saying, “My doctor said my eyes are fine, but something doesn’t feel right.” And more often than not, they’re right.
Your annual eye exam is absolutely essential. Your optometrist checks for eye diseases, evaluates your need for glasses or contact lenses, and helps maintain your overall eye health. Every person—adult or child—should have a yearly exam with a trusted optometrist. Finding a best optometrist in Miami who takes the time to examine both vision and eye health is the foundation of good care. Find a good eye doctor in your area here.
But here’s what’s important: most routine exams do not test how well your eyes work together. They might check for 20/20 eyesight and look inside your eye with a bright light—but they often do not assess:
● Accommodation (your ability to focus)
● Vergence (your ability to team both eyes together)
● Eye tracking (your ability to follow moving objects or switch between targets efficiently)
If you’ve ever been told “everything looks fine,” but still experience:
● Headaches or fatigue after reading
● Words moving or jumping on the page
● Trouble concentrating or sitting still
● Poor depth perception
● Double vision
● A sense that something just feels “off” when using your eyes
...then it’s time to ask more questions.
Accommodation is your eyes’ ability to switch focus between near and far objects quickly and accurately. If this isn’t working well, reading can feel exhausting, and you may find it hard to concentrate.
This refers to how well your eyes work together as a team. One common condition is convergence insufficiency, where the eyes don’t come together properly when looking at something up close. This can cause double vision, blurred vision, or eye strain—especially with screen use or schoolwork.
Tracking skills allow you to smoothly follow moving objects (pursuits), quickly shift your eyes between targets (saccades), and hold your gaze steady (fixation). Poor tracking can cause you to skip lines while reading or lose your place constantly.
These are foundational binocular vision skills that impact how you see the world—and they often go unnoticed unless a trained functional optometrist specializing in vision therapy knows how to look for them.
As a functional optometrist specializing in vision therapy in Miami, I’ve worked with patients from all walks of life—children struggling in school, athletes losing performance, adults recovering from concussions, and everyday people who just feel like their eyes don’t work the way they should.
What do they all have in common?
They were told their vision was “fine” because they could read the eye chart. But deep down, they knew something was wrong. After a full binocular vision evaluation, the truth emerged: they weren’t seeing with ease. They were seeing with effort.
This effort wears people down. It causes frustration, poor performance, anxiety, and even avoidance of reading or screen tasks. These symptoms don’t show up on a standard 20/20 test—but they are real, and they are treatable.
This blog is your reminder to advocate for yourself. At your next eye care appointment, ask your provider:
● “How are my eye focusing skills?”
● “Do both my eyes work together properly?”
● “Can you check my eye tracking and visual efficiency?”
These questions can open the door to a more complete understanding of your visual system.
If your provider doesn't evaluate these skills or if you’re still not getting answers, consider visiting a binocular vision specialist or a vision therapy clinic like Miami Vision Therapy. Our team is trained to assess and treat the hidden aspects of vision that affect how you live, learn, and perform.
We are not here to diminish the importance of your annual eye exam. In fact, we recommend that everyone see their primary care optometrist to:
● Ensure your eyes are healthy
● Check for conditions like glaucoma, cataracts, and retinal disease
● Update your glasses or contact lens prescription
But if you’ve checked all those boxes and still feel like something’s off—trust your gut. Good vision is about more than reading the smallest line on a chart. It’s about comfort, clarity, coordination, and confidence.
Whether you're searching for vision therapy in Miami, a vision therapist near you, or answers about binocular vision dysfunction, our team is ready to listen.
Dr. Chow, Eye Doctor and Vision Therapist, leads the way in helping patients uncover hidden visual problems and improve the way they see the world. With customized therapy plans, we work to retrain the brain and eyes to function in sync.
Our patients often say, “I didn’t know how bad my vision was—until I knew what good vision could feel like.”
This is your call to action.
✅ If you’re experiencing symptoms that don’t match your 20/20 diagnosis…
✅ If you’ve been told everything is fine, but your visual comfort says otherwise…
✅ If you want to know how well your eyes really work together…
Ask your eye doctor about your focusing, teaming, and tracking skills.
And if you’re still looking for answers, we’re here.
📍 Located in Miami, we proudly serve patients looking for the best optometrist in Miami, those in need of vision therapy, and anyone who wants to finally see clearly—not just with their eyes, but with their whole visual system.
🔗 Schedule a consultation with Miami Vision Therapy today
Discover personalized eye care excellence with our comprehensive vision therapy services. Our expert team treats a wide range of vision conditions, including amblyopia (lazy eye), strabismus (eye misalignment), binocular vision disorders, double vision, post-concussion vision syndrome, and more.
For non-urgent questions or to learn more about our services, contact us today!
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