Strabismus

Strabismus, also known as "heterotropia", "squint", "crossed eye", "wandering eye", or "wall eyed", is a disorder in which the eyes do not point in the same direction. It typically involves a lack of coordination between the extraocular muscles which prevents bringing the gaze of each eye to the same point in space, preventing proper binocular vision, which may adversely affect depth perception. The cause of strabismus can be a disorder in one or both of the eyes. For example nearsightness or farsightness. Making it impossible for the brain to fuse two images.

Treatment and management

As with other binocular vision disorders, the primary therapeutic goal for those with strabismus is comfortable, single, clear, normal binocular vision at all distances and directions of gaze http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=8247489&dopt=Abstract.

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If minor and detected early, strabismus can often be corrected with enforced use of an eyepatch on the dominant eye and/or vision therapy. Advanced strabismus is usually treated with a combination of eyeglasses or prisms, vision therapy, and surgery, depending on the underlying reason for the misalignment. Surgery attempts to align the eyes by shortening, lengthening, or changing the position of one or more of the extraocular eye muscles, and is frequently the only way to achieve cosmetic improvement. Glasses affect the position by changing the person's reaction to focusing. Prisms change the way light, and therefore images, strike the eye, simulating a change in the eye position.

Related Topics:
Eyepatch - Vision therapy - Eyeglasses - Prism - Surgery - Light

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Early treatment of strabismus in infancy can reduce the chance of developing amblyopia and depth perception problems. Eyes that remain misaligned can still develop visual problems. Although not a cure for stabismus, prism lenses can also be used to provide some comfort for sufferers and to prevent double vision from occurring.

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In adults with previously normal alignment, the onset of strabismus usually results in double vision (diplopia).

Related Topics:
Adult - Diplopia

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