Strabismus: What is an “eye turn?”

WHAT IS STRABISMUS?

Strabismus is a medical condition which causes one or both eyes to turn in or out involuntarily. An eye that wanders "in" is called esotropia, and an eye that wanders "out" is called exotropia. These patients can sometimes experience double vision, but often times their brain just "shuts off" the wandering eye to compensate.

Strabismus can happen in children and adults for many reasons, including high glasses prescription, amblyopia (lazy eye), or the natural anatomy of the patient's eyes. Any sudden onset of strabismus should be investigated to rule out life-threatening conditions.

Treatment aims to improve binocular (two-eyed) function of the patient, increase depth perception, and give the patient better control of their eye turn.

ADVANCED TREATMENTS FOR STRABISMUS

VISION THERAPY

Many optometry offices in the Fargo/Moorhead area offer vision therapy treatment for strabismus. Therapy is designed to improve the patient's control of the eye turn.

VIRTUAL REALITY

The latest research indicates the use of optometry-specific virtual reality software to "wake up" the brain to use both eyes. This new technique has shortened treatment times significantly and improved binocular vision in both children and adults.

EYE MUSCLE SURGERY

Strabismus surgery involves the resection of one or multiple eye muscles to "straighten out" the eye turn. It is often used alongside doctor-directed vision therapy treatment to improve binocular function in patients with severe strabismus.

WHICH TREATMENTS ARE BEST FOR STRABISMUS?

No two patients are the same, so treatment will vary in each case. With so many options to choose from, eye care providers will select the best treatment combination for you. These options can include:

• Providing the best vision correction (glasses and/or contacts) for the patient. Sometimes proper correction is the only treatment needed. The use of prism in glasses can also be used to compensate for a patient's eye turn.

• Surgical intervention to move the eye muscles and "straighten out" the eye turn.

• Doctor-directed vision therapy treatment.

Depending on the severity of a patient's strabismus, one or all of these treatments can be implemented. Talk to your eye care provider about which treatment is right for you.