Symptoms
- Eyes are misaligned – they do not appear properly positioned.
- Eyes do not move together.
- Frequent blinking, especially in bright sunlight.
- Head tilting while focusing the gaze.
- Double vision.
- Blurred vision.
- Fatigue after reading or working on a computer.
Important to note: In the first few months after birth, babies often appear cross-eyed, as their eye muscles and coordination are still developing. If the child continues to cross their eyes after the sixth month, this is a sign that they may have strabismus, and an examination by a pediatric specialist is necessary.
Types
- Esotropia: One or both eyes turn inward toward the nose. It can appear within the first year after birth. Accommodative esotropia often develops in farsighted children, where the deviation appears when trying to focus on near objects without corrective lenses.
- Exotropia: One or both eyes turn outward. In intermittent exotropia, the eye turns outward only occasionally and is noticeable when looking at distant objects.
- Hypertropia and Hypotropia: One eye is positioned higher or lower than the other. It can be constant or intermittent.
Risk Factors
Strabismus can be caused by abnormalities in the extraocular muscles, in the brain’s visual centers, or due to poor vision in one or both eyes (a difference in diopters between the two eyes).
- Uncontrolled farsightedness can influence the development of strabismus, as the patient tries to focus unclear objects and strains their eyes.
- Premature birth.
- Neurological disorders.
- Syndromic conditions.
- Cerebral palsy.
- Stroke.
- Heredity.
- Cataract.
- Eye trauma or head injury.
- Retinoblastoma.
- Genetic eye conditions.
- Congenital rubella.
Diagnosis
Several examinations are required to diagnose strabismus. Visual acuity and refraction tests are performed, which can help detect refractive errors such as myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), or astigmatism. Eye movement is examined, and pupil dilation may be necessary.
Treatment
There are several ways to treat strabismus:
- Optical Correction with Prescription Glasses: Prescribing corrective eyeglasses.
- Prism Therapy: Prescribing prismatic glasses that direct the eye in the correct direction.
- Surgical Treatment: Surgical treatment is resorted to when parallelism cannot be achieved using the above-mentioned methods. The decision of when to operate is made individually for each patient.
Prevention
Strabismus cannot be prevented. However, if the condition is detected early, the complications it can lead to can be prevented. Therefore, it is recommended that children undergo a prophylactic examination as early as 6 months of age.
Preventive measures for strabismus include:
- Early treatment of refractive anomalies.
- Avoiding eye and head trauma.
- Timely treatment of inflammatory brain diseases.
- Regular prophylactic examinations.
Frequently Asked Questions
During the first few months, a baby’s eyes do not work synchronously. Sometimes one eye looks outward or both turn inward towards the nose. In most cases, this is normal and resolves over time. If the child continues to cross their eyes after the fifth or sixth month, this is a sign that you should take them to an eye specialist. The causes of eye crossing are varied – different diopters in the eyes, an impaired balance between the action of the extraocular muscles, paresis or paralysis of the nerves responsible for the eye muscles, as well as certain conditions such as neurological disorders – Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, stroke, heredity, cataracts, Retinoblastoma, Noonan Syndrome, congenital rubella, etc.
