The dominant eye is the eye that works a little better than the other one. The phenomenon is similar to how we use our one hand more than the other hand. A dominant eye does not always have a better vision; it gives more information to your mind and focuses more on the object.
Researchers claim that the dominant eye and dominant hands are associated. If a person has a dominant right hand, then they are more likely to have a dominant right eye too. The same goes for the left. But it is not always the case. The research shows that 57% of left-handed people have left eye dominance, but 35% of right-handed people also observe left eye dominance.
You use your dominant eye more in monocular instruments like a camera, telescope, and microscope. The dominant eye is not harmful and doesn’t create any issue in seeing.
The dominant eye helps to make clinical decisions in vision problems like presbyopia, amblyopia, and strabismus. It also considered before surgeries such as cataracts. Presbyopic patients cannot see near objects. It is important to know which eye is dominant to give them proper medical assistance.
How to Identify Ocular Dominance
It is difficult for some people to decide which eye is the dominant eye. You can easily identify the dominant eye with these simple tests.
Method 1
- Extend your arms in such a way that your palms facing away.
- Make a triangle with your hands by bringing your hand together, making a hole between your thumbs and forefingers.
- Adjust the small hole between your hands in such a way that an object 15-20 feet away comes in the center of the hole.
- Close your left eye. If the object remains in the center, then your right eye is the dominant eye. If the object disappears from the hole, then your left eye is the dominant eye. You can do this by closing the right eye also.
Method 2
- Take a rectangular card or a rectangular piece of paper. Make a hole in the center of the card. It should be around 1.25 inches in diameter.
- Choose an object in the distance and view it through the hole.
- Extend your hands and see the target object from that hole. Close your left eye and see an object with your right eye. If the left eye sees the target, then it is your dominant eye.
- You can do it while opening your left eye also.
Method 3
- Extend your hands. Make your thumb in an upright position.
- Focus a distant object with the help of both your eyes. The thumb should be in the center of your view of the object.
- Close one of the eyes. The eye which keeps the thumb in front of the object when another eye is closed is your dominant eye.
Bottom Line
Eye dominance is not any kind of medical condition. It only helps you more to focus on the object. If you have any vision problem, you can go to the doctor for a checkup.
You can check your dominant eye to improve yourself in different fields such as target shooting, sports, and archery.
