Know
about strabismus
Strabismus or squint is a
deviation of the eyes. Strabismus is a condition
in which the eyes point in different directions.
An eye turn may be constant
(when the eye turns all of the time) or intermittent
(turning only some of the time, such as, under
stressful conditions or when ill). Whether
constant or intermittent, strabismus always
requires appropriate evaluation and treatment
preferably before seven years of age to enable
proper development of binocular vision.
Children
do not outgrow strabismus!
Strabismus (misaligned
eyes) in adults is often the result of progressive,
untreated or unsuccessfully treated strabismus
from childhood. There are also many adults
who develop strabismus as the result of
an injury or disease, which then frequently
leads to double vision. This is often hard
to tolerate and prompts evaluation and treatment
by a strabismus specialist.
In the past, most eye doctors thought that
adults with misaligned eyes could not be
treated successfully, or that treatment
was "only cosmetic". Advances
in the management of misaligned eyes now
provide benefits to most adults as well
as children.
Treating adults with strabismus can improve
depth perception, the way the two eyes work
together, and the field of vision. Many
patients report improved self-esteem, communication
skills, job opportunities, reading and driving.
The best way to determine whether straightening
of the eyes is possible and appropriate, is
to undergo an examination by a strabismus
surgeon.
Having
straight eyes is a valuable asset that patients
deserve.
In addition to affecting eye function, misaligned
eyes can get in the way of normal eye-to-eye
contact, communication skills and social
interaction. This can lead to reduced self-confidence
and many patients will often look down or
away from the person to whom they are speaking
to avoid eye contact. The person being spoken
to may be uncertain which eye the patient
is using and may be distracted from what
the patient is trying to communicate. Such
impairment of communication skills can lead
to limited job (or job advancement) opportunities.
Straightening the eyes will lead to some
binocularity (that is, the two eyes working
together) in the majority of cases, even
in instances where the onset of the strabismus
occurred in early childhood.
Strabismus repair is not a "cosmetic"
procedure but should more appropriately
be considered reconstructive. After eye
alignment surgery, most children and many
adults improve eye function and may gain
social and economic benefits.
Treatment
Options
Strabismus can be treated in various ways.
Depending on the individual case, treatment
options include:
- Glasses
- Prisms
- Patch
- Botox injection
- Surgery
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