Strabismus (Crossed Eyes): Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

Strabismus is a common eye condition found in infants, children, and even adults globally. The prevalence of Strabismus across the world ranges from 0.7% to 5%. For adults, common strabismus causes are stroke, cerebral palsy, physical injury, or untreated childhood strabismus.

To prevent poor vision or permanent vision loss, it is important to identify Strabismus symptoms and get timely treatment.

In this article, we will elucidate everything you need to know about Strabismus.

What is Strabismus?

Strabismus, also known as Eye Misalignment or Crossed Eyes or Eye Squint, is a condition where one eye turns in a direction different than the other eye. Children are most likely to have this condition, but even adults may suffer from it.

Normal eyes have six muscles that are in full control of eye movements, thus looking in the same direction. With strabismus, these muscles are weak and cannot aid normal ocular alignment. In this condition, one eye may look forward, while the other eye looks down, up, inward, or outward, leading to issues like double or blurred vision.

Since both eyes send different image signals to the brain, sometimes, your brain completely ignores the images sent from the weaker eye, leading to abnormal vision development in that eye. This condition is known as Amblyopia or Lazy Eye.

Types of Strabismus

The most common types of Strabismus are as follows:

1. Accommodative esotropia: It occurs in individuals with a family history of inward eyes or untreated farsightedness (hyperopia). Symptoms include double vision, tilting or turning the head, and closing one eye when doing close work.
2. Intermittent Exotropia: In this type, one eye will focus on an object, while the other eye turns outward, and it only happens sometimes (intermittent or transient). Symptoms include eye strain, difficulty reading, headaches, and closing one eye to look at something far away or in bright daylight.
3. Infantile Esotropia: It is when infants (below 6 months of age) have their both eyes significantly turned inwards without any farsightedness.

Doctors may also differentiate strabismus based on which direction your misaligned eye focuses on, such as:

• Esotropia is when your eye turns inwards
• Exotropia is for misaligned eyes pointing outward
• Hypertropia is when your eye turns upward
• Hypotropia is for eyes pointing downward

If the turning happens in just one eye every time, it is known as Unilateral, and if the turning eye is sometimes the right one and at other times the left one, it is called Alternating.

Symptoms of Strabismus

Common strabismus symptoms are as follows:

• Blurred or double vision
• Lazy Eye (amblyopia): permanent poor vision in the misaligned eye.
• Headaches
• Eye strain
• Fatigue
• Difficulty in reading
• Closing one eye to look at something, especially in bright light or when looking at objects far away
• Tilting your head to look at something

Important Note: In a few cases, infants may have wandering eyes after birth. However, by the time they turn 2-4 months, their eyes should be properly aligned and look straight toward objects. By 6 months, they must be able to fixate their eyes on objects close by or far away.

Strabismus Causes

Most likely, strabismus causes include poor neuromuscular control of eye movement involving the brain.

Another common culprit is a family history of strabismus, near-sightedness, farsightedness, or certain medical problems such as Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Premature birth, Hydrocephalus, Stroke, Brain tumor, etc.

Risk Factors for Strabismus

Risk factors for eye misalignment or strabismus could be other conditions such as:

• Family history of strabismus
• Cerebral palsy or Guillain Barre Syndrome
• Untreated refractive error: People with untreated serious farsightedness (hyperopia)
• Poor vision in one eye or both eyes
• Down syndrome
• Neurological disorders
• Graves’ disease (thyroid hormone overproduction)
• Brain tumours
• Stroke
• Serious injury to the area of the brain or nerves or muscles that control eye movements

• Hydrocephalus (fluid buildup in the deeper cavities of the brain since birth)

Strabismus Diagnosis

Strabismus commonly occurs in children and infants by the time they turn 3 years of age. But even adults may develop this condition due to various reasons. If left untreated, your Strabismus may get worse over time.

Doctors can diagnose strabismus with a comprehensive eye examination to test visual acuity and see how the eyes focus and move. Doctors may study your history of health problems, medications, environmental factors, family history, etc.

Strabismus Treatment 

Homeopathy is highly effective in esotropia and exotropia treatment. Homeopathy medication helps strabismus patients strengthen their eye muscles over time gently without any side effects. The treatment is further supported with a set of eye exercises that will help in managing the symptoms, and improve eye alignment and overall recovery.

If diagnosed and treated early, strabismus cures with excellent results.

Conclusion

Homeopathy takes a holistic approach to treating Strabismus through a specific course of medicines and eye exercises. To start your healing journey from eye misalignment, you must first consult a highly experienced, expert Homeo Doctor for a proper diagnosis.

If you are experiencing eye misalignment or any issues with eye vision, you can opt for online consultation via Call or Video call. Our doctor will study your case and medical history, and prescribe the required medication.

Our homeopathy treatment for Strabismus is 100% safe and cost-effective. Book now!