Strabismus

What is strabismus?

Strabismus is a condition that causes one or both of your eyes to look in different directions. In most cases, one eye can focus on an object while the other eye may look in toward your other eye (esotropia), outward (exotropia), upward (hypertropia), or downward (hypotropia).

Strabismus is sometimes known as crossed eyes or wall-eye in layman’s terms. It can be constant or intermittent depending on the cause and severity of the condition. Strabismus may always affect the same eye, or the two eyes may alternate being misaligned.

What causes strabismus?

Strabismus occurs when there are problems with one or more of the six intraocular muscles that control the movement of your eyes. This may be due to neurological problems that prevent the muscles from receiving nerve signals that determine movement or problems with the muscles themselves.

It’s also possible that the vision centers of your brain may play a role, such as poor coordination of the muscles and nerve signals that tell your eyes to move in each direction. In some cases, genetics play a role in strabismus. If one or both parents have strabismus, their child is likely to have strabismus as well.

How is strabismus diagnosed?

Strabismus can be observed by watching the eyes as they move and focus on objects in different areas of their field of vision. As a strabismus specialist, Dr. Nausheen Khuddus performs specialized tests to determine the cause of strabismus and identify which treatment approach is best for you or your child.

How is strabismus treated?

Conservative treatment for mild strabismus related to vision issues may involve wearing glasses to improve your vision. This can reduce muscle strain in your eyes and allow your eyes to focus on objects equally.

For constant strabismus, Dr. Khuddus performs surgery on the muscles inside the eye socket. This surgery is most successful when performed early, although multiple surgeries may be needed depending on the severity of the rotation of the eye.

If strabismus is left untreated into adulthood, one eye typically develops amblyopia (lazy eye) to compensate for the eye rotation.

Find out about treatment options for strabismus at Columbia Eye Associates & Family Focus Eye Care by calling or booking a consultation online now.