http://www.aoa.org/x4700.xmCrossed eyes, or strabismus is a condition in which both eyes do not look at the same place at the same time. It occurs when an eye turns in, out, up or down and is usually caused by poor eye muscle control or a high amount of farsightedness
What causes strabismus?
Strabismus can be caused by problems with the eye muscles, the nerves that transmit information to the muscles, or the control center in the brain that directs eye movements. It can also develop due to other general health conditions or eye injuries.
Although there are many types of strabismus that can develop in children or adults, the two most common forms are accommodative esotropia and intermittent exotropia.
Accommodative esotropia often occurs because of uncorrected farsightedness (hyperopia). Because the eyeβs focusing system is linked to the system that controls where the eyes point, the extra focusing effort needed to keep images clear in farsightedness may cause the eyes to turn inward. Signs and symptoms of accommodative esotropia may include seeing double, closing or covering one eye when doing close work, and tilting or turning of the head.
Intermittent exotropia may develop due to an inability to coordinate both eyes together. The eyes may have a tendency to point beyond the object being viewed. People with intermittent exotropia may experience headaches, difficulty reading, and eye strain. They also may have a tendency to close one eye when viewing at distance or in bright sunlight.
How is strabismus treated
People with strabismus have several treatment options available to improve eye alignment and coordination. They include:
eyeglasses or contact lenses
prism lenses
vision therapy
eye muscle surgery
Eyeglasses or contact lenses may be prescribed for patients with uncorrected farsightedness. This may be the only treatment needed for some patients with accommodative esotropia. Once the farsightedness is corrected, the eyes require less focusing effort and may remain straight.
Prism lenses are special lenses that have a prescription for prism power in them. The prisms alter the light entering the eye and assist in reducing the amount of turning the eye has to do to look at objects. Sometimes the prisms are able to fully compensate for and eliminate the eye turning.
Vision therapy is a structured program of visual activities prescribed to improve eye coordination and eye focusing abilities. Vision therapy trains the eyes and brain to work together more effectively. These eye exercises help remediate deficiencies in eye movement, eye focusing and eye teaming and reinforce the eye-brain connection.
Eye muscle surgery can change the length or position of the muscles around the eye in an attempt to better align the eyes. Eye muscle surgery may be able to physically align the eyes so they appear straight. Often a program of vision therapy may also be needed to develop a functional improvement in eye coordination and to keep the eyes from reverting back to their previous condition of misalignment
Strabismus is classified by the direction the eye turns:
Inward turning is called esotropia
Outward turning is called exotropia
Upward turning is called hypertropia
Downward turning is called hypotropia.
Source:
http://www.aoa.org/x4700.xml- source
