Strabismus - Condition and Treatments
Strabismus: What Is It?
Strabismus (also referred to as “cross eye,” “lazy eye,” “wall eye” or “wandering eye”) is a condition where the eyes are misaligned and do not look toward the same object together. While one eye gazes straight ahead, the other points in, out, up or down. Strabismus is often present at birth, but it might also become apparent at a later age. It is estimated that up to five percent of children in the United States have some degree of strabismus.
Early diagnosis and treatment of strabismus are important because this condition can lead to amblyopia. This serious vision impediment can render the person blind in the strabismus-affected eye. In addition, untreated strabismus in children can delay proper development of such important functions as crawling and grasping. If you suspect that your child might be suffering from strabismus, schedule a consultation with one of our dedicated eye specialists who can perform a thorough evaluation.
Types of Strabismus
Strabismus is caused by improper functioning of the muscles surrounding the eyes. There are six major muscles that control the alignment and focus of each eye. When one or more of these muscles are not functioning properly, the eyes become misaligned. Depending on the extent of the muscle tension, the affected eye might be gazing in a different direction all the time (constant strabismus) or only some of the time (intermittent strabismus).
It is common for intermittent strabismus to manifest itself during stressful situations or when the person is ill. The majority of newborns also show signs of intermittent strabismus because their eye and facial muscles are not yet fully developed. This condition should disappear by the time the child reaches the age of six months.
While strabismus is usually considered a childhood problem, it might also affect adults. Some adults have strabismus simply because they did not receive treatment as children, while other adults might develop strabismus as a result of certain illnesses or brain and / or eye injury. Although strabismus can be treated most effectively before the age six, a patient’s age should not be a deterrent. Our dedicated doctors use advanced strabismus treatments that allow them to improve the vision of older patients too.
How Is Strabismus Treated?
The goal of all strabismus treatments is to straighten the eyes and make them work together as a pair. Depending on the extent of strabismus, the age of the patient and several other factors, our dedicated doctors might recommend one or more of the following treatments:
- Glasses and / or contact lenses: In some cases, special eyewear can be prescribed to improve the focusing of the eyes and redirect the line of sight.
- Patching and eye exercises: Our doctors might prescribe a patch to be worn over the dominant eye and schedule weekly or bi-weekly therapy sessions designed to train the weaker eye to become more efficient.
- Medication: In some cases, our doctors prescribe special Atropine eye drops that blur vision in the dominant eye, preventing it from focusing. As a result, the weaker eye is stimulated to work harder.
- Strabismus surgery: Depending on the condition of the patient, sometimes our doctors might recommend and perform surgery to properly align the eye muscles and straighten the eyes.
Depending on the condition of the patient, strabismus therapy can take anywhere from several months to a couple of years. Typically, faster and better results are achieved with younger patients, which is why it is important for parents to schedule include eye care as a regular part of a child’s healthcare. Your family optometrist can help determine if your child is suffering from a vision problem and can arrange a consultation with one of our experienced doctors.
How Does Untreated Strabismus Cause Blindness?
A child with strabismus usually experiences blurred vision due to the misalignment of the eyes. In order to avoid blurred vision, the brain learns to ignore the images coming from the strabismus-affected eye. Thus, the brain effectively “turns off” the weaker eye and learns to see only with the stronger eye. As a result, although the weaker eye technically retains the ability to see, the child is essentially blind in this eye.
Early detection and proactive treatment of strabismus are keys to avoiding vision loss and developmental problems. While parents usually can tell that their child has a vision problem due to the cross-eyed appearance, sometimes strabismus is not readily noticeable. If a child squints, frequently closes one eye to see and / or suffers from frequent headaches, the parents should have him or her evaluated for strabismus by one of our knowledgeable doctors.
The dedicated eye care professionals at the Nashville, Columbia, Huntsville and Birmingham locations offer specialized strabismus treatment in addition to providing quality vision care for all of a family’s members. They also offer specialized LASIK, cataract surgery and retina disease treatments among other leading-edge procedures.
