Strabismus and Treatment Methods

Strabismus occurs in 4 out of every 100 newborn children and is a condition in which the parallel position of the eyes is disrupted. It is a treatable disease. Symptoms can be obvious and can be confused with other conditions, so early diagnosis and treatment is very important. The causes may vary from person to person, so the treatment also varies according to the person.

Strabismus is the loss of the parallelism of the eyes with each other. These shifts can be permanent, intermittent or hidden. There are 6 muscles in our eyes that allow the pupil to move up and down, left and right and circularly. Strabismus occurs when one or more of them weakens. It can sometimes occur in one eye and sometimes in both eyes.

As with all disorders, early diagnosis is very important in strabismus. Therefore, routine eye checks of babies and children should not be interrupted and their behavior should be observed. Strabismus in newborns and children may first show symptoms by turning their neck in a different direction while looking in a different direction. In addition, watery eyes, pain, double vision, headache, loss of parallelism in the eyes, blurred vision and loss of three-dimensional image, many of these symptoms can only be understood during a medical examination.

Strabismus can have many different causes and can vary from person to person. It can be caused by problematic pregnancy, premature birth, incubator stay, neurological disorders, febrile diseases, head trauma, accidents, falls, surgeries, refractive errors (myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism), lazy eye, diabetes and hypertension, as well as hereditary. If there is a family history of strabismus, the likelihood of strabismus in the child is high.

As with all diseases, early diagnosis is very important in strabismus. If eye examinations are delayed or ignored, especially in newborns and children, not only aesthetic problems but also visual problems will arise. However, strabismus is a treatable disease at any age and with these treatments, lazy eye can be prevented and 3D vision can be achieved.

The majority of strabismus, which occurs in four out of every hundred newborn children, occurs around the age of 2-3 years and can usually be completely corrected with glasses. In cases that do not improve even with glasses, surgical treatment is required.

 

Some strabismus is caused by refractive error and can be treated with glasses. As you wear them, the strabismus in the eye improves.

This treatment method can be performed if the patient has lazy eye. The healthy eye is closed at certain intervals and the lazy eye is made to work.

This treatment consists of computer-assisted exercises applied to the eye to restore vision and depth perception to both eyes and is a form of physical therapy. This treatment not only treats strabismus, but also makes the patient more comfortable and successful when driving a car, playing sports that require distance and time adjustments such as soccer and table tennis.

The method to be applied varies according to the type and degree of strabismus. With this treatment, the strength of some of the 6 muscles in our eyes is increased, some of them are reduced or the points of action of some of them are changed. Strabismus surgeries can be performed under general anesthesia in children and local or general anesthesia in adults.

In cases that do not improve with glasses and exercise programs, surgery is used in congenital strabismus patients. With this treatment, the strength of some of the 6 muscles in our eyes is increased, some are reduced or the points of action of some are changed. Although early treatment is preferred in strabismus, treatment is also possible in adulthood. The operation is preferably performed under general anesthesia. The eye is not closed after the operation, there is no pain, only a slight stinging sensation may be felt. Patients can return to their daily lives 6-7 days after the operation. Redness in the eyes lasts about 3-4 weeks and decreases with the use of drops.