Cross eyes or Strabismus is a problem related to the alignment of the eyes, in which both the eyes don’t look at the same place at the same time. Because the eyes are pointing towards different places, the brain has difficulty combining the images from both eyes into a single image. Cross Eyes is mainly related to the problem of Refractive errors in the eye.
It is estimated that 1 in every 2500 people have suffered from cross eyes during their lifetime worldwide.
There can be multiple reasons that can result in cross eyes such as:
- Genetic disorder
- Inappropriate development of the fusion center of the brain
- Controlled center of the brain not functioning properly
- Injury to the nerves or muscles of the eyes
But the most common problem that results in cross-eyes is due to the problem in the controlled center of the brain. Cross eyes or strabismus is not to be confused with Amblyopia, which is a problem related to visual acuity or eyesight.
Cross-eyes is a condition of functional vision problem which can result in poor development of eye teaming. Functional vision is a combination of how the entire visual system works which is again a combination of the eyes, the brain, and the visual pathway. All the problems related to functional vision can be treated at any stage and any age, so you need not worry about cross eyes.
Types of Cross eyes:
Cross eyes are usually characterized into 5 types, which are:
- Which eye has been affected by Cross eyes
- The direction of the eye turn
- Frequency of the eye turn
- Amount of eye turn
- Whether the turn is the same in all positions of gaze.
What are the symptoms of Cross eyes:
The most obvious symptom of cross-eyes is an observable eye turn.
Patients who have been suffering from cross eyes for a long period of time, learn to suppress the information from the eye that has been affected by cross eye problem. Thus completely avoiding the problem of double vision but this is not recommended as the patient will only be able to see through one eye.
Patients who suffer from intermittent cross eyes may experience more frequent symptoms of functional eye problems, which can include:
- Poor depth perception
- Eye strain or pain
- Headaches
- Blurry or double vision
- Eye Fatigue
What are the treatments that are available for cross eyes:
Usually, when people come to know about Cross-eyes, their first preference is for surgery. But this doesn’t address the main problem which is related to the functional vision problem and teaming of the eyes, the brain, and the nervous system.
It is recommended that if you or your child has been detected with Cross-eyes, then it’s best that you first undergo a Functional vision exam which will determine to what extent cross eyes are there. The functional vision exam allows the doctor to assess the problem in the visual skill areas of eye teaming, eye focusing and eye movements.
We at Cosmos eye care usually recommend that along with surgery the patient should undergo for a vision therapy which will help him completely restore the vision to normalcy.
If you would like to know more about Cross eyes or will like to book an appointment, visit us at our clinic today. Or you can call us on +91 – 9599229744 for booking an appointment.
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