Strabismus

What is Strabismus?

Strabismus is a condition where the eyes are misaligned or not looking in the same direction at the same point in time. This usually occurs due to a muscle or nerve issue or in people that are very farsighted. When this happens, the eye may turn in, out, up or down.

The eye turn may only appear when person is tired or has done a lot of close work or it might be constant. In some cases, eyes may alternate turning.

Eye misalignment may lead to a number of problems including:

• Loss of depth perception
• Double vision
• Amblyopia – when strabismus develops in children, as consequence it may lead to permanently reduced vision in the turned/untreated eye. This can only develop during critical period approximately until 8 years of age.

New onset strabismus should be promptly evaluated by your eye doctor. In very rare cases it may be caused by health problems including stroke, diabetes, tumours or other issues.

Some of the treatments may include glasses, prisms, exercises or surgery.