Strabismus is a periodic or fixed deviation of the visual axis of one or both eyes from a general fixation point, which is accompanied by impairment of binocular single vision and considerable decrement in visual acuity of the squinting eye. More simply, strabismus is a condition in which the eyes do not point in the same direction. This disorder was provoked by malfunction of one or several eye-muscles and results in eye misalignment.
With normal vision both eyes focus on one point, but send the brain pictures «from their own point of view». The brain unites two pictures, which gives volume and integrity to the image. In order that the brain could unite two pictures into one, it is highly important that all 12 eye-muscles worked correctly and in coordination.
The major cause of strabismus is a mismatch of the eye muscles work. Most often, it occurs in early childhood because of maldevelopment of binocular single vision. Therefore it is highly important and essential to detect strabismus in children as early as possible, since children have high adaptive capacity. If strabismus occurs, the brain of a child receives two pictures and cannot combine them into one. Double vision appears. Gradually the brain suppresses the image seen by the squinting eye in order to take information from the stronger eye. Amblyopia progresses.
Amblyopia or "lazy eye" is vision impairment when one of two eyes is insufficiently involved in visual process. Amblyopia is reversible decrement in visual acuity. Amblyopia develops from such diseases as strabismus, farsightedness, astigmatism, cataract etc. Amblyopia treatment is the main primary phase of strabismus treatment, because its efficiency has an impact on surgical result.
Amblyopia can be treated at home under the guidance of an eye specialist. If it is insufficient, then apparatus amblyopia treatment is offered.
Strabismus in children may also cause head inclination or rotation in order to compensate strabismus and recover from double vision.
There are different causes of strabismus it may be congenital or may be caused by miopia alta or farsightedness. Traumas and diseases of various kinds and sometimes ophthalmic surgeries can also provoke strabismus.
The ophthalmologic clinic SVIT ZORU offers complex strabismus treatment . The background therapy of strabismus is oriented to the restoration of correct eye position and the development of binocular and stereoscopic vision. Strabismus treatment depends on many factors: patient’s age, causes of strabismus, its type and degree of deviation.
Strabismus treatment is administered in two main directions:
- therapeutic strabismus treatment,
- surgical strabismus treatment.
In case of accommodative strabismus, it can be treated with glasses. First of all a child is prescribed corrective glasses for a permanent wearing. They will fully correct such strabismus.
In case of nonaccommodative strabismus, spectacle correction is inefficient. In such situations the doctor often prescribes occlusion (healthy eye sealing) and complex apparatus treatment (exercises on the synoptophore and special devices, use of special curative computerized programs and therapeutic laser). Apparatus strabismus treatment is aimed at elimination of amblyopia. Afterwards surgical treatment of strabismus will be provided.
It should be kept in mind that the sooner the problem is uncovered and the treatment starts, the better the chances for recovery of visual functions. The opinion that strabismus may heal on its own is wrong. Moreover, in the absence of care and proper treatment serious complications can develop. Normalization of eye functions in full is possible only in children whose visual system is not yet formed and has considerable spare capacities.