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Strabismus is a disease that should not be treated only as a cosmetic defect. Most people are unaware that strabismus can have serious health consequences. That is why it is so important to diagnose and start treatment quickly. Time has the greatest influence on healing. What effects can be expected after strabismus correction?
What is strabismus?
Strabismus is a disease that involves weakening of the eye muscles. Consequently, the angle of view of the eyes relative to each other changes. Stereoscopic vision is disturbed. Strabismus greatly affects the patient’s quality of life. Untreated strabismus in children may lead to disorders in the development of the associative centers of the cerebral cortex.
In addition, strabismus may in some cases lead to the development of the so-called lazy eye. This is because the ability to see in one eye is impaired. To avoid this, it is enough to cover the healthy eye, e.g. with a blindfold. Then the other eye is forced to work harder.
Check: Zez – when to see a doctor?
What are the types of strabismus?
There are several divisions of strabismus depending on the adopted criterion. Taking into account the angle of the eye deviation as a division criterion, the following should be mentioned:
- convergent strabismus – when the eyes move towards the nose;
- divergent strabismus – when the eyes are directed towards the temples;
- strabismus upwards – when the eyes or eye are directed towards the forehead;
- strabismus downwards – when the eyes or the eye point towards the chin;
- oblique strabismus.
It is worth emphasizing that strabismus often leads to sensory imbalances in both eyes, and this leads to functional disorders. The squint eye is the most vulnerable, as it can lose sight. Amblyopia then develops, which can cause poor visual acuity and sometimes even blindness.
Another division of strabismus includes:
- hidden strabismus;
- open testimony of accompanying;
- open squint not accompanying, the so-called paralyzed.
The most frequently appearing form is the so-called accompanying strabismus. It is characterized by constant movement accompanying the squinting eye with the movements of the guiding eye. Importantly, the squinting eye constantly maintains its incorrect angle.
Hidden strabismus is a disorder in the balance of the eye muscles. It affects about 50% of all people. Imbalance means that certain eye muscles are stronger than others. Strabismus becomes visible when binocular vision is turned off and there is no need to combine images from both eyes. This happens when binocular vision is impaired, for example in situations of stress or exhaustion. In this case, we distinguish the eye running inwards, outwards, upwards, downwards. You can check them by covering one eye. When exposed, the eye may be either convergent or divergent. However, the squinting eye immediately returns to its proper position when exposed.
Another division of strabismus includes:
- one-sided – means that only one eye is squinting;
- alternating – means that once the other eye is squinting once.
Check: Methods of treating strabismus in children
How can strabismus be treated?
In the case of strabismus, it is very important to start treatment promptly. In the case of children, usually about 15% of all cases can be qualified for surgery, which is best performed no later than 10 years of age. It definitely increases the chance of correct positioning of the eyeballs and, importantly, learning proper binocular vision.
Surgical treatment is performed under full anesthesia. Before the operation, the doctor must assess the visual impairment and evaluate the binocular vision. A thorough anesthetic history is also necessary.
When it comes to surgery, there are a few important things to keep in mind. The operation should be performed on an empty stomach, which means that you cannot eat for about 6 hours before the procedure. The patient should remain in the hospital ward for 1-2 days after the surgery, and he or she returns to full fitness after about 6 weeks.
Other treatments for strabismus include:
- covering the healthy eye, which forces the squinting eye to work more intensively;
- instillation of a healthy eye with special drops that dilate the pupils;
- light stimulation of the foveal area;
- properly selected glasses or lenses;
- orthoptic exercises – the aim of the exercises is to create and strengthen binocular vision, as well as to reduce the angle of strabismus in children;
- pleoptic exercises – these exercises are used in amblyopia. Their task is to restore the dominant role in the field of vision of the patient’s retinal macula.
How effective is the treatment?
Early initiation of therapy has a huge impact on the effectiveness of treatment. It is best for parents to see a specialist as soon as they notice any disturbing symptoms. The younger the child’s age, the better as it gives a better chance of a full recovery. For a child to develop normal binocular vision, treatment should be started before the age of 6. Untreated strabismus worsens with age and consequently leads to decreased visual acuity and even to amblyopia or blindness.
The aim of strabismus treatment is to achieve correct binocular vision, correct eye movement coordination and symmetrical parallel alignment of the eyeballs while looking straight ahead.
Thus, the effects of treating strabismus in children depend on the age of the child. However, to achieve a full recovery, different treatments should be combined and the child’s parents or legal guardian should work closely with the doctor. One possibility is a combination of glasses, vision treatment, and surgery on the muscles responsible for the movement of the eyeballs.
Even after strabismus treatment is completed and satisfactory results are achieved, periodic ophthalmological check-ups are necessary.
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