Eye muscles getting more cross eyed with one eye shooting?

[seamaster]

Starting to notice that my eye muscle is getting more imbalanced lately.

Just wondering if it is related to one eye dominant shooting.

Cover one eye, then the other eye. Moving patch from eye to eye showed that my image jumped up and also moved inward.

Talked to one ophthalmologist friend, he said it is all in my head. Talk to another friend who is world expert in neuro-ophthalmology; now, he wants a brain MRI to make sure. He said a guy in mid-50's should not have new onset strabismus (cross eye).

I think, it is from too focused one eye on front sight. The other eye is left drifting out there, over time causing slight lazy eye on that side.

Just wonder if it is a problem amongst shooters?

Do you have slight crossed eye muscle imbalance from long term one eye focus on front sight?

If many shooters do notice that slight lazy eye symptom, might be worthwhile to do a prospective study on the shooters at the Olympic center and get it published.

[Pat McCoy]

Most shoot with both eyes open.

[seamaster]

Talking to my wife about my latent strabismus on my left eye ( non-focusing eye).

She was completely unsympathetic, "You done it to yourself ! ".

Lately, at my ophthalmologist's recommendation, I patch up my shooting eye (at home), just looking through my left eye to strengthen all those six muscles around that eye .

It seems to work a little bit.

My dear wife looks at me wearing eye patch this morning, just shaking her head, with a big smirk, " You really done it to yourself !"

So my friends, cover your eye than the other eye with your hand, if image jumps A LOT, you might have latent strabismus brought on by one eye focused shooting.

You may need to patch up that shooting eye to strength the other eye. Let your unsympathetic family laugh out loud. You just say, "Yes, I know. I done it to myself !"

[TenMetrePeter]

My wife says things like that. Unless you shoot 23 hours a day I don't see how that could happen.
My aimimg eye has deteriorated and She Who Must Be Obeyed thinks I have "worn it out shooting". LOL.
Ignore that kind of noise and take the ophthalmologists advice. Head scan might be an idea if your health insurance covers it but only if you have double vision in normal use. Everyone's eyes see differently when used singly. My right eye sees things bigger than the left. The brain normally merges the images when using both together, and mine does.

[Brian Girling]

I have been shooting pistol for 55+ years. Many years ago I was advised to focus on a pen tip ~40cms away moving it up, down, left and right all the time bringing it closer to the eyes until you can no longer see one tip. It will go out of focus, but that it not the object of the exercise it is to co-ordinate the muscles.
Just my layman's offering.

[seamaster]

My ophthalmologist friend also recommended that pencil tip "push up" exercise for my eyes.