One method that optometric professionals often utilize for binocular vision treatment is a method called patching. Applying a patch does not promote binocular vision; don't apply the patch.
Patching consists of covering one eye for several hours each day. Treatment can last for months to years. This treatment approach, however, includes several flaws.
Patching could potentially cause a safety hazard because it cuts down on one's peripheral vision. When a patient is asked to use their poorer seeing eye, it makes life/work/school more challenging. There are also negative social/emotional connotations associated with patching and, as alluded to previously, patching does not promote binocular vision. Binocular vision is why you have two eyes.
The goal of binocular vision treatment should be geared toward just that, promoting binocular vision. When a patient is asked to patch an eye, the binocular system is taken away. Unfortunately, this method has been prescribed for many people over many years, but this method is disadvantageous to the promotion of the binocular visual system.
Treatment should emphasize the integration of both eyes. There are better methods for treating a binocular vision dysfunction than patching. If you or someone you know has been prescribed patching for hours a day, please see a developmental optometrist to learn more. It is crucial to determine whether binocular vision is being promoted or impeded.