What is Strabismus?

Normally, our eyes move together. Strabismus or crossed eyes is the inability of two eyes to look at the same point as a result of the inability to use them together. It results in the loss of the brain's ability to combine the images of the two eyes. Failure to develop binocular vision will result in the absence of 3-dimensional vision, double vision, and inability to determine distance.

What Are the Causes of Strabismus?

There are many different types of strabismus. The first of these is strabismus which occurs in childhood. In addition, strabismus may occur due to paralysis of the muscles that move the eyes in advanced ages. In addition, strabismus may be the first symptom of thyroid diseases, various muscle diseases, and sometimes tumors.

Which Symptoms of Strabismus Necessitate a Visit a Doctor?

A detailed examination by an ophthalmologist should be performed for anyone who has an inward or outward shift or suspicion of shift and double vision.

In addition, all children should be checked by an ophthalmologist before the age of 3 years. If there is someone else in the family with strabismus or amblyopia, this examination should be done before the age of 1 year.

Babies' eyes seem to be turned inwards. The reason for this is that the root of the nose is wider or there is a skin fold on the inside of the eyelid. As age progresses, this appearance will go away. There will be no improvement in those who actually have strabismus. The difference between false and true strabismus can only be diagnosed by an ophthalmologist.

Which Methods Are Used in the Diagnosis of Strabismus?

During a routine eye examination, measurements of the shift are made with prisms. Occult eye disorders are evaluated by instilling differential drops. Fundus examinations are performed to evaluate whether there is an intraocular mass that may lead to a decrease in vision and therefore a shift in the retina and whether there are different diseases in the retina.

In some cases, magnetic resonance imaging of the orbita or brain may be required.

How to Treat Strabismus?

The aim of the treatment in a child with a shift is to preserve vision, to bring the eyes back to the middle position, and to provide common vision with both eyes, which we call binocular vision. For this purpose, glasses can be prescribed, surgical treatment can be performed, and if there is amblyopia, that is, lazy eye, closure treatment is performed.

In strabismus, the inability to use both eyes together results in the loss of the brain's ability to combine the images of both eyes. Even if the shift is corrected in the future, the person uses his/her eyes separately. The ability to see with both eyes, called binocular vision, cannot develop. Failure to develop binocular vision will result in the absence of 3-dimensional vision and the inability to determine distance.

As a result, he/she cannot do professions that require distance determination and experiences difficulty in doing sports such as football, volleyball, basketball, and so on. In daily life, incompetence and clumsiness occur in tasks that require distance determination.

Apart from these, strabismus has an aesthetic and psychological aspect that should never be neglected. It negatively affects the psychology of the person. This problem should be solved before the children reach school age.

Early diagnosis and treatment are very important in children. Every child needs to have an eye examination at 6 months, 1 year, and 3 years of age. If you suspect that your child has a shift and if there is an eye disease in the family, an ophthalmologist should be consulted without delay.