Strabismus – Diagnosis and Treatment In Children
- Posted on: Jul 31 2015
Strabismus is a condition where one or both eyes are not properly aligned. It is commonly known as a lazy eye, turned eye, or crossed eye. Patients who have this condition can be easily identified as their eyes will be visibly pointing in different directions when they are looking at something. It is not an uncommon problem with a little over 5 percent of children being affected. There are four types of Strabismus; esotropia, exotropia, hypertropia, and hypotropia, all named after the direction in which one or both eyes point at, they are inward, outward, upward, and downward, respectively.
When to Take Your Child for an Eye Exam
Parents should bring in their children to get their eyes checked fairly early. Nine months is the recommended time schedule for the first appointment. If the parent sees any aggressive eye turning, even earlier. It has been found that a critical period for corrective treatments for Strabismus is within 2 years of age. The eyes are among the first organs to fully develop in humans and by 9 months or so, the system is in place, by two years, the eyes are almost fully matured, so any corrective treatments done early on will be very effective.
Strabismus Treatment
There are two ways in which Strabismus can be corrected in young children; surgery and through therapy.
- Orthoptics and optometric therapy are methods by which the eye muscles are worked out and the turned eyes can be brought back and aligned.
- Surgery can be used to rectify the workings of the six muscles that control the eyes and their movement.
It should be noted that children are unlikely to ‘grow out’ of Strabismus or any eye related conditions, so getting the professional opinion from a doctor as early as possible is the best way to go.
Interested in Learning More about Common Eye Conditions? Contact Dr. Julia Giyaur.
For more information about Monovision or any of the procedures we offer, contact Dr. Julia Giyaur. We are located in both Brooklyn and Rego Park and can be contacted directly at 718-676-6464 and 718-676-6464 respectively. We look forward to hearing from you soon.
Tagged with: Strabismus
Posted in: Common Eye Conditions
