What Is Strabismus?
Strabismus is a condition where both eyes having difficulties aligning. One eye may turn inward, outward, upward or downward. This misalignment can occur consistently or intermittently, often appearing when someone is unwell, exhausted or deeply focused. It's crucial to promptly assess this condition to determine its underlying cause and why the eyes struggle to coordinate.
Vision Therapy for Strabismus
While strabismus is often observed in a child's early years, it can also develop later in life, typically due to traumatic brain injuries or neurological events. The misalignment hampers the eyes' ability to work in unison, This can lead to issues like blurred or double vision, overlapping images and difficulties in perceiving depth.
Vision therapy is a personalised program of exercises and activities designed to teach your child's brain and eyes to work together more effectively.
At The Focal Point Optometrist, we have extensive experience helping children and adults with strabismus. We will work with you to develop a personalised vision therapy program tailored to your child's needs.
Example of Strabismus
Signs and Symptoms of Strabismus
Parents or teachers often don’t detect an eye turn in a child if it is a small turn. Larger angle turns can be more obvious. Sometimes the eye turn might appear to come and go which is referred to as an intermittent turn. The best way to diagnose a strabismus is through a comprehensive vision exam.
A child with strabismus may have:
- Eyes that don’t simultaneously look in the same direction
- Tilting or turning the head to look at an object
- Headaches