Strabismus is also known as crossed eyes. In medical terms, it’s a condition under which the pair of human eyes does not look at the same place at the same time. The reason for the aforementioned condition is mostly the weak or poor muscles conditions, however, extreme farsightedness can also become a prime reason for this eye disorder.
Let’s first understand the concept of how weak muscles can induce strabismus. Our eyes control its movement with specifically six muscles. These muscles are guided by the brain to direct the movement of the eyes. In normal condition, the eyes work together and therefore point at the same place. If any problem develops in controlling the movement of the eye, it may affect the occurrence of the eyeball in the following four ways:
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Inward turning (Esotropia)
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Outward turning (Exotropia)
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Upward turning (Hypertropia)
The above improper alignment of eyeballs is also referred to as four types of Strabismus. However, this condition varies in its occurrence from person to person as for some it may occur all the time and for some, it may appear only when the person is tired, ill or has been reading/working from a long time.
Symptoms of Strabismus
From age 3 to 4 weeks, an infant’s eyes should have the ability to focus on small objects and the eyes should be straight and well-aligned. A 6-month-old infant ought to have the ability to focus on objects both close and far.
Strabismus usually appears in babies and young kids up to age 6, and most frequently by the time a kid is 3. However, teenagers and even adults can suffer from strabismus. The sudden appearance of strabismus, particularly with double vision, in teenagers or adult children’s, could indicate a serious neurological disorder. If this happens, make a visit to your ophthalmologist immediately.
A condition called pseudostrabismus (false strabismus) may make it seem that the infant gets crossed eyes when actually the eyes are aiming in precisely the exact same direction. An extra skin covering the interior corners of the eyes, a wide nose, or eyes which are close to each other are mostly the reason that leads to the eye disorder such as pseudostrabismus.
Treatment of Strabismus
There are multiple treatment options available for Strabismus, which can improve the alignment and coordination of eyes:
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Vision Therapy: A well-structured program that consists of several visual activities can assist in improving the focus and coordination of the eyes individually. Such therapies are effective in training the eyes and brain to work together. You must consult your optometrist for more information in vision therapies.
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Prism Lenses: With their prescription for prism power. employing prism lenses can help you reduce the turning the eye to a great extent. In some cases, the prisms can even eliminate the eye turning.
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Eye Muscle Surgery: Eye surgeries are effective in altering the position and length of the muscles around the eye. However, even after surgeries there exist a requirement of therapies as the eye muscles would still require proper exercises for improving their coordination and alignment.