What is strabismus?
Have you ever heard of strabismus? This pathology implies that the two eyes are not aligned, and therefore that binocular vision is no longer guaranteed.
Dr Pierre-François Kaeser, a university lecturer and clinical researcher, director of the paediatric strabology and ophthalmology unit, explains what you need to know about this visual abnormality and what to do about it.
What is strabismus?
Strabismus occurs when the visual axes are no longer parallel. This means that the two eyes no longer look at the same object together.
This vision problem can be constant or intermittent.
The different forms of strabismus
The child may have a strabismus that is horizonal, inwards or outwards, looking upwards, or so-called torsional strabismus.
These visual disorders fall under the umbrella of strabismus:
- Convergent: when one of the eyes crosses towards the nose
- Divergent: when the eye is outwardly shifted
- Vertical: when one eye looks more upwards or downwards
What are the consequences of strabismus on the child’s vision?
When strabismus appears in the very young child, his brain will stop using the images sent by the deviated eye and will no longer learn to see with this eye. This can lead to poor vision that will last a lifetime if it is not taken care of. In this case, we are talking about amblyopia.
The situation is different when strabismus appears in older children or adults. In this case, when the eyes are no longer parallel, it causes double vision.
This should be taken seriously.
What to do if you notice strabismus in your child
You should see an ophthalmologist, and undergo investigations to determine the cause of the loss of parallel visual axes. The latter can indeed be linked to a problem of muscles or nerves, which may require care. Talk to your treating doctor or paediatrician.
Do you want to learn more about strabismus and other eye diseases in children?
Are you interested in the subject of strabismus, would you like to know what treatments are available, if your child will have to undergo surgery, and the risks associated with a family history? Visit our page dedicated to this eye disorder.
And if you want to learn more about other eye diseases, such as myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism, conjunctivitis, diplopia, congenital glaucoma or nystagmus, then we invite you to visit our other pages.