How is strabismus diagnosed?
Strabismus can be
diagnosed during an eye exam. It is recommended that all
children have their vision checked by their pediatrician,
family doctor or ophthalmologist (medical eye doctor) at or
before their fourth birthday. If there is a family history of
strabismus or amblyopia, an ophthalmologist can check vision
even earlier than age three.
How is strabismus treated?
Treatment for
strabismus works to:
- Preserve vision;
- Straighten the eyes;
- Restore binocular (two-eyed) vision.
After a complete eye
examination, an ophthalmologist can recommend appropriate
treatment.
In some cases, eyeglasses
can be prescribed for your child. Other treatments may involve
surgery to correct the unbalanced eye. Covering or patching
the strong eye to improve amblyopia is often necessary.
Most common types of strabismus:
Esotropia
Esotropia, where
the eye turns inward, is the most common type of strabismus in
infants.
Exotropia
Exotropia, or an
outward turning of the eye, is another common type of
strabismus. This occurs most often when a child is focusing on
distant objects.
Amblyopia
Amblyopia is poor vision in an eye that did not develop normal
sight during early childhood. It is sometimes called "lazy
eye."
The condition is common,
affecting approximately 2 or 3 out of every 100 people. The
best time to correct amblyopia is during infancy or early
childhood.
When should vision be tested?
It is recommended
that all children have their vision checked by the
pediatrician, family physician or ophthalmologist (medical eye
doctor) at or before their fourth birthday.
What causes amblyopia?
Amblyopia is caused by any condition that affects normal
use of the eyes and visual development. In many cases, the
conditions associated with amblyopia may be inherited.
Children in a family with a history of amblyopia or misaligned
eyes should be checked by an ophthalmologist early in life.
Amblyopia has three major causes:
Strabismus (misaligned eyes)
Amblyopia occurs
most commonly with misaligned or crossed eyes. The crossed eye
"turns off" to avoid double vision and the child uses only the
better eye.
Unequal focus (refractive error)
Refractive errors
are eye conditions that are corrected by wearing glasses.
Amblyopia occurs when one eye is out of focus because it is
more nearsighted, farsighted, or astigmatic than the other.
The unfocussed (blurred)
eye "turns off" and becomes amblyopic. The eyes can look
normal but one eye has poor vision. This is the most difficult
type of amblyopia to detect since it requires careful
measurement of vision.
Cloudiness in the normally clear eye tissues
An eye disease such
as a cataract (a clouding of the eye's natural lens) may lead
to amblyopia. Any factor that prevents a clear image from
being focused inside the eye can lead to the development of
amblyopia in a child. This is often the most severe form of
amblyopia.
How is amblyopia treated?
To correct
amblyopia, a child must be made to use the weak eye. This is
usually done by patching or covering the strong eye for a
period of time.
