Eye misalignment or Strabismus can be a serious cause for concern as the condition could indicate severe underlying health issues. Learn how our doctors are helping patients with their diagnosis and treatment plans for this condition.
Strabismus is a condition in which the eyes are misaligned. This condition occurs when the muscles that are controlling our eye movement do not work together.
In order for our eyes to be in ocular alignment, the six ocular muscles that move our eyes up, down, left, right need to work together. The brain is in control of these muscles so if a patient has health issues such as diabetes, head injury, brain tumor or any other condition that might affect them neurologically, it is likely that they may develop strabismus. Usually strabismus occurs in children but in some cases adults may also develop the condition.
Strabismus usually occurs in young children but may also manifest in older children and adults. If the condition occurs in an older child or an adult this could be a serious cause for concern as the misalignment of the eyes could be indicative of a neurological disorder.
Though strabismus is caused by neuromuscular control, it is unlikely that the condition occurs due to a dysfunction of the actual eye muscles. Following is a list of reasons why strabismus may develop:
- Poor eyesight in one eye
- Uncorrected refractive errors
- Cerebral Palsy
- Down Syndrome
- Brain tumors
- Stroke
- Severe head trauma
- Neurological disorders
- Graves’ Disease
If a child who is older than six months has strabismus, it is imperative to consult a paediatric ophthalmologist immediately for an eye examination. The eye exam will include a thorough medical history of the patient including symptoms, family history, medications and such. The doctor will then perform a full motility and ophthalmic exam to check visual acuity, eye misalignment, refraction and a dilated fundus exam.
The treatment for strabismus can include a variety of options but the most common one is prescription glasses or contact lenses for patients that may have uncorrected refractive errors. Other treatment options may include:
• Eye muscle exercises
• Medications
• Patching
• Eye muscle surgery
It is important to treat strabismus as soon as it is diagnosed as this condition may worsen over time. Since strabismus may be caused by underlying health issues, it is possible for those conditions to be aggravated over time if not diagnosed in a timely manner. Untreated strabismus may result in:
- Permanent vision impairment in the misaligned eye
- Blurry vision
- Eye strain
- Fatigue
- Headaches
- Double vision
If you or your child are noticing a misalignment of the eyes get in touch with our eye specialists in our Paediatric Ophthalmology department who will guide you with the correct treatment options suited to your needs. At American Hospital Dubai we guarantee that you will be given the best healthcare services for strabismus or any other eye condition. Our neurology department also houses excellent doctors who can provide you with correct and safe treatment options for any underlying health issues that may be diagnosed.
