How Does Dyslexia Affect Reading?

Dyslexia can cause children to have difficulties in numerous cognitive areas, including speaking, writing and comprehending complex instructions, but one of the main challenges of this condition is reading problems. Learning to read involves several processes all at once. Children must be able to recognize the letters in the words and the sounds these letters make when they are combined. Once children learn these skills and memorize common words, most of their mental energy can then go toward comprehending and remembering what they have read. Children and adults with dyslexia have so much trouble reading the words that they rarely get to the comprehension component of the process, which leaves them feeling frustrated and confused in addition to experiencing physical problems. Those with reading disabilities often experience some or all of the following characteristics of dyslexia:

Reading Problems and Moving Text

Proper reading and comprehension require that the eyes work together to send the right signals to the brain. With dyslexia, the eyes can distort the text in a number of ways. Words may appear blurry or move in and out of focus at random. They may move all over the page in different directions, and the letters may move closer together or farther apart. Words may even appear superimposed on one another or doubled, and letters can appear reversed or inverted. With all of this movement of words and letters on the page, the eyes and brain must work overtime just to identify what they are seeing. Therefore, it is no surprise that people who suffer from dyslexia have difficulty reading as fast as their peers and have trouble comprehending what they have read.

Physical and Emotional Characteristics of Reading Disabilities

The reading problems of dyslexia cause an enormous strain on the eyes, which can lead to redness, watering and irritation. Headaches and fatigue also commonly result from eye strain as well as the mental effort required for reading. Additionally, drifting words on a page can cause symptoms similar to those of motion sickness, which include dizziness and nausea. After expending so much time and energy to read, often looking at the same lines repeatedly and losing their place, people with reading disabilities may feel like giving up on school and can withdraw from social groups because of embarrassment. If dyslexia is not treated, the emotional toll of not being able to read properly can be devastating on all levels, ultimately affecting a person’s ability to finish school and find gainful employment.

Special Lenses to Eliminate Dyslexia Symptoms

In addition to working with school specialists and mental health professionals to learn coping strategies, children and adults who have trouble reading because of dyslexia can find relief with ChromaGen optical treatment. Consisting of special eyeglass lenses or contact lenses, ChromaGen helps the eyes work in sync so that the words stop drifting on the page. As a result, the eyes experience less strain, and the brain can comprehend the text more efficiently, eliminating the painful physical symptoms and emotional torment of the condition. This life-changing treatment has given numerous people with dyslexia a feeling of hope and empowerment.