On this page, you will find everything you are looking for regarding strabismus.
What is Strabismus?
Strabismus is a visual defect that causes the eyes to be misaligned, where each eye points in a different direction (one eye focuses on a specific point while the other eye turns inward, outward, upward, or downward). This defect can be noticeable and may be permanent or appear intermittently, and it can shift between the eyes.
What are the Symptoms of Strabismus?
Symptoms of strabismus can appear permanently or temporarily. These symptoms include:
- Deviation of the pupils in opposite directions.
- Difficulty focusing vision in a fixed direction.
- Double vision.
- Lazy eyes.
- Unnatural eye movements (eyes do not move together).
- Loss of vision.
What are the Causes of Strabismus?
Most cases result from a dysfunction in controlling the eye muscles and movement. Causes of strabismus include:
- Congenital strabismus (genetic), appearing immediately after birth or within the first six months.
- Untreated refractiveerrors.
- Weak vision in one eye.
- Certain eyediseases.
- Cerebral palsy.
- Downsyndrome.
- Hydrocephalus, a congenital disease resultingin the accumulation of cerebrospinal (Hydrocephalusfluid within the brain.
- Brain tumors.
- Stroke, which is theleading cause ofstrabismus in adults.
- Head injuries, as head injuries can affect brain regions, nerves,and the eye muscles responsible for controlling eye movement.
- Nervous system issues.
- Graves’ disease; an autoimmune disorder leading to excessive thyroid hormone secretion.
What are the Diagnostic Methods?
The doctor takes a medical history and conducts a clinical examination, and may request additional procedures as needed, such as::.
- Visual acuity measurement, reading a close and distant letter chart,Visual acuityor examining the visual pattern and behavior of young children.
- Corneal light reflex examination.Corneal light reflex).
- Alignment and focus tests.Alignment and focus tests).
- Retinal exam.Retinal exam).
- In some cases, brain and nervous system tests are conducted.
What are the Treatment Methods for Strabismus?
Treatment involves various procedures or as needed and may include:
- Glasses orcontactlenses.
- Eye exercises, to treat certain types of strabismus.
- Medications: eye drops or ointments, or injections, Botulinum toxin injections (such as Botox).
- Eye patch, to treat lazy eye.
- Eye muscle surgery, which adjusts the length or position of the eye muscles so that the eyes are properly aligned.
How to Prevent Strabismus?
Strabismus cannot be prevented, but complications can be avoided if detected early enough. At a minimum, children should have an eye health check before 6 months of age and again between 3-5 years.
What are the Complications of Untreated Strabismus?
If not treated, strabismus may lead to other complications such as:
- Persistent blurry vision.
- Double orblurred vision.
- Lazy eye, a condition where the brain begins to ignore signals coming from the affected eye. When strabismus is present, the eyes look in different directions, causingthe brain to receive two images. To avoid double vision, the brain ignores the image from the affected eye, leading to permanent vision weakness in that eye.
- Low self-confidence or decreased self-esteem.
- Headache..
When Should You See a Doctor?
You should consult an eye doctor immediately if you or your child notice any of the following signs:
- Double vision.
- Crossing of the eyes (they do not look in the same direction).
- Difficulty seeing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between types of strabismus?
- Divergent strabismus (eye direction opposite the nose).
- Convergent strabismus (eye direction towards the nose).
- Hypertropia (eye direction upward).
- Hypotropia (eye direction downward).
