1. When One Eye Is Not a Team Player
Strabismus, an eye condition more commonly referred to as crossed eyes or lazy eye is a common phenomenon affecting about 5 percent of young children. Crossed eyes vary in severity, affecting some people all of the time, and others only when tired or sick. Stabismus occurs when the two eyes do not work together and manifests in three forms: esotropia, in which one eye turns inward; exotropia, in which one eye turns outward; and hypertropia, in which one eye looks higher than the other.
2. Binocular Breakdown
The breakdown of binocular vision, or the inability to see and focus together with both eyes, is generally an inherited condition. While crossed eyes may not be apparent in the parents, one or both often have extreme farsightedness. Other causes for strabismus include loss of vision in one eye, nerve damage to the muscles of the eye or in rare cases, a tumor in the eye.
3. Seeing Double
When the eyes don't focus together as one, the result is double vision; however, the brain will eventually begin to suppress one eye, hence the term lazy eye. The vision in the suppressed eye can become very poor and is generally not correctable with glasses. This condition, called amblyopia, generally occurs in children with crossed eyes before the age of four, making early treatment for strabismus extremely important.
4. Your Child Will not Outgrow Crossed Eyes
It is important that you take your child to an ophthalmologist as soon as possible, as your child will never outgrow crossed eyes; however, early treatment can help to prevent vision loss and minimize or even correct the appearance of deviation. First, the doctor will give a thorough examination to ensure that the crossed eyes are not caused by an underlying medical condition and will then offer suggestions to treatment.
5. Uncrossing the Eyes
Obviously, if crossed eyes are caused by a tumor or other medical condition, the treatment will be based upon the specific condition; however, the most common treatments for crossed eyes include patching the dominant eye to strengthen the weaker and glasses to correct nearsightedness or farsightedness that exacerbates the lazy eye. Corrective surgery is becoming far more popular in the treatment of crossed eyes as well. The surgery only requires a single day in the hospital, and works to either strengthen or weaken the musculature of the eye, correcting the majority of deviations.
Member Comments