Strabismus Defined, Cause and Treatment

Strabismus, crossed eyes or wall eyes, is a condition in which the eyes are not aligned (they don't look towards an object together). One of the eyes may look in or out, turn up or down, or be turned into an oblique angle. The eye turning away can occur all of the time or only sometimes, such as during a stressful situation or illness.

Some people have a congenital defect that that causes the eyes to misalign. This is called congenital strabismus. In many children, there is no clear cause of strabismus. In some cases, it is a result of a problem with the nervous system, especially the part that controls the muscles of the eyes. It may be due to a tumor or disorder in the infant eye. If it is not corrected, strabismus can continue into the adult years. Most adults who have strabismus were born with it. Strabismus that appears later in life will cause double vision. Misalignment of the eyes in an adult who did not have strabismus as a child could be a sign of a serious condition such as a stroke. Sudden misalignment of the eyes or double vision is cause for immediate medical treatment. Young children have the ability to suppress vision in a misaligned eye, thereby avoiding the symptom of double vision. However, that may lead to an eye becoming amblyopic, lazy, having little or no vision. Depth perception and peripheral vision may be affected. Eyestrain and headaches can occur.  Misalignment of the eyes first occurring at an older age, the person may turn his or her head in unusual ways in order to see in certain directions and avoid double vision.

If strabismus is suspected, a pediatric ophthalmologist should be consulted at the first sign of misalignment. Non-surgical treatment is usually recommended at first. The main goal to assure that neither eye becomes amblyopic. Prescription eyeglasses, with the possible use of a patch, may also be used to force the use of the lazy eye until normal vision is established. In some cases, the misalignment of the eyes is caused...