Eye Care - Strabismus & Amblyopia

Strabismus is commonly referred to as "crossed eyes" when one eye looks inward toward the nose, or "wall eye" when one eye looks outward toward the ear.

Strabismus can be caused by:

• the muscles of the eye developing at different rates
• brain injury
• trauma from birth
• cerebral palsy
• Down’s syndrome
• brain tumors
• hydrocephalus

Strabismus is more commonly associated with children than adults. When the eye muscles of the child develop at different rates the eyes are unable to focus on the same item at the same time. If left untreated, strabismus can lead to Amblyopia, or "lazy eye". Children eventually learn to rely on the visual input from their stronger eye. The more they use their stronger eye, the stronger it will get. In turn, the weaker eye becomes weaker from lack of use. As a result, vision in the weaker eye may not fully develop and vision may be reduced.

Treatment:

• Eyeglasses
• Eye patch (to cover the stronger eye, forcing the individual to use and strengthen the weaker eye).
• Eye drops (to blur the vision of the stronger eye)
• Eye exercises
• Injections into the eye muscles.
• Surgery (to tighten or loosen the eye muscles)