Journal of Eye Diseases and Disorders

Risk Factors and Symptoms for Developing Strabismus

Roberts Hunter^* Department of Ophthalmology, Byers Eye Institute at Stanford University, Palo Alto, United States
^*Correspondence: Roberts Hunter, Department of Ophthalmology, Byers Eye Institute at Stanford University, Palo Alto, United States, Email:

Received: 07-Oct-2022, Manuscript No. JEDD-22-18904; Editor assigned: 10-Oct-2022, Pre QC No. JEDD-22-18904 (PQ); Reviewed: 01-Nov-2022, QC No. JEDD-22-18904; Revised: 08-Nov-2022, Manuscript No. JEDD-22-18904 (R); Published: 15-Nov-2022, DOI: 10.35248/2684-1622.22.7.187

Description

The condition known as strabismus causes the eyes to not align properly. Patients with strabismus struggle to maintain proper ocular alignment and have difficulty controlling their eye movement.

This disorder can be caused by problems with the eye muscles, the nerves that carry information to the muscles, or the control center in the brain that controls the movement of the eyes can also develop due to other general health conditions or eye injury.

Risk factors for developing strabismus include

• Family history: People with parents or siblings who have strabismus are more likely to develop it.

• Refractive error: People with significant uncorrected hyperopia may develop strabismus due to the extra eye focusing they must do to keep objects clear.

• Medical conditions: People with conditions like Down syndrome and cerebral palsy, or who have had a stroke or head injury are at a higher risk of developing strabismus.

Many types of strabismus can develop in children or adults, but the two most common forms are listed below. Accommodative Esotropia often occurs due to uncorrected hyperopia. Farsighted people focus more to keep images sharp. This can cause the eyes to turn inward. Symptoms of accommodative Esotropia may include double vision, closing or covering one eye when working closely, and tilting or turning the head. Intermittent Exotropia can develop when a person is not able to coordinating both eyes together. The eyes can point beyond the object being viewed. People with intermittent exotropia may experience headaches, reading difficulties, and eyestrain. They may also close one eye when looking into the distance or bright sunlight.

Symptoms

Eyes that appear misaligned, Eyes that don't move together, frequent blinking or squinting, especially in bright sunlight, tipping the head to look at things, Defects in depth perception, Double vision

Diagnosis

An ophthalmologist can diagnose strabismus through a comprehensive eye exam. Strabismus tests, with particular attention to how the eyes focus and move may include: History: An ophthalmologist will ask the patient or parents about current symptoms. In addition, the doctor will examine any general health issues, medications, or environmental factors that may be contributing to the symptoms.

Visual Acuity: An optometry doctor measures visual acuity to determine how much vision is impaired. For the test, patient will be asked to read letters on reading boards near and far. Visual acuity is written as a fraction, e.g. B. 20/40. The top number is the standard distance at which the test is conducted (20 feet). The bottom number is the smallest font size that patient can read at a distance of 20 feet. A person with 20/40 visual acuity would need to be within 20 feet of a letter that should be clearly visible 40 feet away. The "normal" television sharpness is 20/20. Ophthalmologist has other methods of measuring vision for young children or patients who cannot speak or understand the visual acuity test.

Refraction: An optometrist can perform a refraction to determine the correct lens power of patient need to compensate for refractive errors (myopia or hyperopia).Using an instrument called a phoropter, the doctor places a series of lenses in front of patient eyes and uses a handheld, light-enhanced instrument called a Retinoscope to measure how they focus the light. Or the doctor can use a manual or automated instrument that tests the refractive power of the eye without requiring the patient to answer any questions.

Alignment and focus tests: Optometry doctor will need to assess how well eyes are focusing, moving, and working together. To get a single, clear image of what patient see, eyes must effectively shift focus, move, and work in unison. This test looks for problems that are preventing the eyes from focusing effectively or making it difficult to use both eyes at the same time. Optometrist will use a variety of tests to examine the internal and external structures of eyes to rule out eye disorders that may contribute to strabismus. This test determines how the eyes respond under normal viewing conditions. Doctor may use eye drops for patients who are unable to respond verbally or when some of the eyes' focusing power is hidden. The eye drops temporarily prevent the eyes from changing focus during the test. The information obtained from these tests, along with the results of other tests, can help doctor determine if patient have strabismus or not. Once the tests are complete, doctor can discuss treatment options.