Monocular

The term “monocular” refers to the condition in which someone has a large asymmetry between the eyes in terms of vision. Essentially, it means that one eye sees much better than the other, and the worse seeing eye actually has quite poor functional vision.

In these scenarios, we ophthalmologists strongly recommend the use of glasses as part of what we refer to as “monocular precautions.” Some individuals feel that we do so in order to promote the vision in the better seeing eye by using the correct prescription. The reality is that the more important effect of wearing glasses in monocular patients is to actually act as a physical barrier–glasses can prevent trauma to the good eye. So, if you have one eye that is much better than the other, remember to keep glasses on for safety!