When Your Child Has Strabismus

What is Strabismus?

Strabismus means that your child's eyes are not positioned straight, They may be turned in (crossed eyes) or out. One eye may be too low or too high compared to the other rye. One or both eyes may be affected compared to the other. eye.

What Causes strabismus?

Strabismus may be caused by any of the following:

• Weakened muscles or abnormal nerve impulses to the eye muscles where the brain does not know how to align the eyes
• Heredity (parent has strabismus)
• Blurred or poor vision
• Conditions inside the eye that cloud vision

How do the eyes work together?

The movements of the eyes up and down and form side to side are controlled by muscles attached to the outside of each eyeball. Both eyes should face and turn together in the same direction. When the eyes turn, one muscle pulls while the other relaxes. The muscles are positioned in such a way that the eyes can move together in all directions.

 

What happens if the eyes do not work together?

Most people look at an object with both eyes at the same time. This is called normal binocular vision. Children with strabismus  have a problem with the binocular vision. They cannot use both eyes at the same time because the eyes are not pointing in the same directions. Vision in each eye is usually normal if the eyes take turns looking at things, However, if the child uses just one eye at a time the vision in the other eye may not develop properly. This condition is known as "amblyopia" or lazy eye. (See the pamphlet Amblyopia).

 

What is the treatment?

The goals of treatment are threefold:

• To preserve, improve or restore vision
• To straighten the eyes
• To make the eyes work together

Each child's vision problem is different. Your Doctor will explain what type pf treatment is best for your child. Treatment may include a combination of the following procedures.

 

Patching

When strabismus results in amblyopia (lazy eye), the most common and effective treatment is to put a patch over the stronger eye. This helps strengthen the lazy eye. Your doctor will explain how often and how long the patch will be needed. He/she will check your child regularly to see if the treatment is working.

 

Eyeglasses

Your child may need glasses to help the eyes work together, to improve vision, or both. To be effective the glasses must be worn at all times when your child is awake.

 

Eye drops

Blurring the vision in the stronger eye with special eye drops may be needed in some cases to make the lazy eye work harder.

 

Eye exercises

In some "Very specific" cases eye exercises may help the eyes move better together.

 

Surgery

Surgery to correct eye position is often used along with glasses and patching to help to get your child's eyes as straight as they can be.

 

Goal

The goal of all the above is to help your child be as good as they can be visually. The straighter your child's eyes and the better the vision at as young an age as possible the better your child can learn to see one clear image with both eyes at one time. As your child is treated for strabismus you will work together with your Doctor as a team to help your child be as good as they can be. At each stage different treatments may be applied and it is very important that you understand what is being done, why and what the goals are. If you are ever unclear please remember to write it down and ask the questions to your Doctor.

 

STRABISMUS/AMBLYOPIA:

www.med.com and search either strabismus or amblyopia

 

ADULT STRABISMUS: 

http://www.adultstrabismus.org/

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