What is Strabismus? its causes, and treatment.

Strabismus
Strabismus

Strabismus is a condition in which the eyes do not properly align with each other when Glancing at an object. In other words, one eye is turned in a different direction from the other. Strabismus can occur due to muscle dysfunction, problems in the brain, trauma, or infection. The most common form of strabismus is known as”crossed eyes”. However, when this occurs, two different images are sent to the brain. In children, the brain may learn to ignore the image from the weaker eye.

Types of strabismus.

There are several forms of strabismus. However, the vastly two common are:

Accommodative esotropia- this often occurs in cases of uncorrected farsightedness and a genetic for the eyes to turn in. This type typically starts in the first few years of life. However, this condition is usually treated with glasses.

Intermittent exotropia- in this type of strabismus, one eye will fixate on a target while the other eyes are pointing outward. Therefore, intermittent exotropia can happen at any age.

Causes.

Strabismus that develops in adults include:

vision loss.

Shellfish poisoning.

Traumatic brain injury.

Stroke.

Injury to the eyes.

Graves disease.

Diabetes.

Botulism.

Neurological.

however, for most children with this illness, the cause is unknown. In more than one-half of these cases, the problem is present at or shortly after birth. However, extra disorders associated with it in children include:

  • Cerebral palsy.
  • Trisomy 18.
  • Noonan syndrome.
  • Apert syndrome.
  • Retinoblastoma.
  • Congenital rubella.

symptoms of Strabismus

Eyes that don’t look in the same direction at the same time.

Bumping into things.

Squinting.

Tilting or turning the head to look at an object.

Eyes that don’t move together.

Treatment.

Surgery –this is often the only way to improve vision and better align the eye. However, it may take more than one surgery and the child may still need to wear glasses.

Glasses-wearing glasses sometimes correct mild strabismus. A temporary eye patch over the stronger eye if the child has amblyopia. In addition, it can make the weak eye stronger, which may help to align the eyes.

other treatments may include medicines and eye exercises. Therefore, treatment for strabismus should commence as soon as possible.

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