What is strabismus?

Amblyopia is when one eye is weaker than the other. Some people call this "lazy eye." It causes the brain to take in images from the stronger eye and ignore images from the weaker eye. This leads to poor vision in the weaker eye. It most often affects only one eye. Children can develop the problem between birth and about age 7.

Sometimes amblyopia occurs because the eyes don't focus on the same object. For example, one eye may point straight while the other looks in another direction. This condition is called strabismus. It sends two different images to the brain. In a young child with strabismus, the brain chooses to receive the images from only one eye.

Amblyopia can sometimes be treated if it is caught at a young age. Your doctor may want your child to wear a patch over the stronger eye. This helps develop the vision in the weaker eye. Or your doctor may suggest glasses or eyedrops to blur the vision in the good eye.

Sometimes surgery is needed to fix both problems.

The most common signs are eyes that don't look in the same direction at the same time and eyes that don't move together. Your child may also squint or close one eye in bright sunlight. They may tilt or turn their head to look at things. And they may bump into things.

Common treatments for strabismus are glasses for mild strabismus or a temporary eye patch to make the weak eye stronger. Other treatments may include medicines and eye exercises. Surgery on the eye muscles can also be done. The earlier you start treatment, the better chances you have of correcting the problem.

A doctor can often tell that a child has strabismus just by looking at the child's eyes. It may be obvious that the eyes don't look in the same direction at the same time.

The doctor may have the child look at an object while covering and then uncovering each eye. This allows the doctor to see which eye turns, how much it turns, and under what circumstances the abnormal turn occurs. These tests will also help the doctor find out if the child has amblyopia (lazy eye), which sometimes occurs with strabismus.

Experts recommend that children have regular eye exams. Vision tests may also be done to look for strabismus. If you have concerns about your child's eyes or vision, call your child's doctor, or take your child to an eye doctor.

Help your child follow directions for wearing an eye patch or glasses or using eyedrops. Your doctor will give you directions. Give your child extra love and support during treatment. They may be teased at school. Explain the treatment to your child's teachers. They can help support your child.

Childhood strabismus often has no known cause, although it tends to run in families.

Sometimes strabismus develops when the eyes compensate for other vision problems, such as farsightedness or a cataract. Other things that can increase your child's risk for strabismus include an illness that affects the muscles and nerves, premature birth, Down syndrome, a head injury, and other problems.

Adults may develop strabismus from eye or blood vessel damage. Loss of vision, an eye tumor or a brain tumor, Graves' disease, stroke, and various muscle and nerve disorders can also cause strabismus in adults.

Strabismus (say "struh-BIZ-mus") is a vision problem in which both eyes do not look at the same point at the same time. Strabismus most often begins in early childhood. It is sometimes called crossed-eyes, walleye, or squint.

Normally, the muscles attached to each eye work together to move both eyes in the same direction at the same time. Strabismus occurs when the eye muscles don't work properly to control eye movement. When the eye muscles don't work as they should, the eyes may become misaligned and the brain may not be able to merge what one eye sees with what the other eye sees.

A child rarely outgrows strabismus after it has developed. Without treatment, strabismus can cause permanent vision problems. For example, if the child is not using one eye because it is misaligned, the child can develop poor vision in that eye (called lazy eye or amblyopia).

Having strabismus can be hard on your child's self-esteem. It affects your child's appearance as well as their ability to see well. Other kids may tease your child for being cross-eyed or having a walleye. Be supportive of your child, and seek treatment right away.