Actual
CK Procedure
- Broadband
| Dialup
- Risks with CK
- Cost of CK
- Presbyopia
- How the Eye Works
- Meet our Doctors
- Request Appointment
- Financing
- Halpin Eye Center Hist.
- Dir. to Our 4 Locations
- Contact Us
- Email Site to a Friend
- Bookmark
this Site
- About Cataracts
- Clear Corneal Surgery
- Clear Lens Extraction
- Glaucoma
- Diabetic Retinopathy
- Macular Degeneration
- Dry Eye
- Floaters and Flashes
- Lazy Eye (Amblyopia)
- Strabisimus
|
|
|
 |
What
is strabismus?
Strabismus is a visual defect in which the eyes are misaligned
and point in different directions. One eye may look straight
ahead, while the other eye turns inward, outward, upward
or downward. Your opthamologist at Halpin - Poweleit Eye
Center, located in Cincinnati Ohio, specializes in the detection
and treatment of Strabismus.
You may always notice the misalignment, or it may come and
go. The turned eye may straighten at times and the straight
eye may turn. |
|
|
Strabismus
is a common condition among children. About 4% of
all children in the United States have strabismus.
It can also occur later in life.
It occurs equally in males and females. Strabismus
may run in families. However, many people with strabismus
have no relatives with the problem. |
|
How
do the eyes work together?
With normal vision, both eyes aim at the same spot. The
brain then fuses the two pictures into a single three-dimensional
image. This three-dimensional image gives us depth perception.
When one eye turns, two different pictures are sent to the
brain. In a young child, the brain learns to ignore the
image of the misaligned eye and sees only the image from
the straight or better-seeing eye. The child then loses
depth perception.
Adults who develop strabismus often have double vision because
the brain is already trained to receive images from both
eyes and cannot ignore the image from the turned eye.
Amblyopia
Good vision develops during childhood when both eyes have
normal alignment. Strabismus may cause reduced vision, or
amblyopia in the weaker eye.
The brain will recognize the image of the better-seeing
eye and ignore the image of the weaker or amblyopic eye.
This occurs in approximately half the children who have
strabismus.
Amblyopia can be treated by patching the "good" eye to strengthen
and prove vision in the weaker eye. If amblyopia is detected
in the first few years of life, treatment is usually successful.
If treatment is delayed until later, amblyopia usually becomes
permanent. As a rule, the earlier amblyopia is treated,
the better the visual result.
What causes strabismus?
The exact cause of strabismus is not fully understood.
Six eye muscles, controlling eye movement, are attached
to the outside of each eye. In each eye, two muscles move
the eye right or left. The other four muscles move it up
or down and at an angle.
To line up and focus both eyes on a single target, all of
the muscles in each eye must be balanced and working together.
In order for the eyes to move together, the muscles in both
eyes must be coordinated.
The brain controls the eye muscles. Strabismus is especially
common among children with disorders that affect the brain,
such as:
- Cerebral palsy;
- Down syndrome;
- Hydrocephalus;
- Brain tumors.
A cataract or eye injury that affects vision can also cause
strabismus.
What are the symptoms of strabismus?
The main symptom of strabismus is an eye that is not straight.
Sometimes children will squint one eye in bright sunlight
or tilt their head to use their eyes together.
How is strabismus diagnosed?
Strabismus can be diagnosed during an eye exam. It is recommended
that all children have their vision checked by their pediatrician,
family doctor or opthamologist (medical eye doctor) at or
before their fourth birthday. If there is a family history
of strabismus or amblyopia, an opthamologist can check vision
even earlier that age three. |
|
|
|
All
children should have their vision checked at or before their
fourth birthday; earlier, if there is a family history of
strabismus or amblyopia.
The eyes of infants often seem to be crossed. Young children
often have a wide, flat nose and a fold of skin at the inner
eyelid that can make the eyes appear crossed.
This appearance of strabismus may improve as the child grows.
A child will not outgrow true strabismus.
An opthamologist can usually tell the difference between
true and false strabismus.
How is strabismus treated?
Treatment for strabismus works to:
- Preserve vision;
- Straighten the eyes;
- Restore binocular (two-eyed) vision.
After a complete eye examination, our physicians at Halpin
- Poweleit Eye Center can recommend appropriate treatment.
In some case, eyeglasses can be prescribed for your child.
Other treatments may involve surgery to correct the unbalanced
eye muscles or to remove a cataract. Covering or patching
the strong eye to improve amblyopia is often necessary.
How is strabismus surgery done?
The opthamologist makes a small incision in the tissue covering
the eye to reach the eye muscles.
Certain muscles are repositioned during the surgery, depending
on which direction the eye is turning. It may be necessary
to perform surgery on one or both eyes.
When strabismus surgery is performed on children, a general
anesthetic is required. Local anesthesia is an option for
adults.
Recovery time is rapid. People are usually able to resume
their normal activities within a few days.
After surgery, glasses or prisms may be useful. In many
cases, further surgery may be needed at a later stage to
keep the eyes straight.
For children with constant strabismus, early surgery offers
the best chance for the eyes to work well together. In general,
it is easier for children to undergo such surgery before
school age.
For children with constant strabismus, early surgery offers
the best chance for the eyes to work well together. In general,
it is easier for children to undergo such surgery before
school age.
Strabismus surgery is usually a safe and effective treatment
for eye misalignment. It is not, however, a substitute for
glasses or amblyopia therapy.
Injections
BotoxT, a new drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
for limited use, is an alternative to eye muscle surgery
for some individuals. An injection of this drug into an
eye muscle temporarily relaxes the muscle, allowing the
opposite muscle to tighten and straighten the eye.
Although the effects of the drug wear off after several
weeks, in some cases, the misalignment may be permanently
corrected. |
|
|
|
|
