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Free Laser Vision Screening
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Strabismus occurs when the eyes are misaligned and are pointing in different directions. Strabismus in adults often has been present since childhood. Sometimes, however, strabismus can occur in adults without a history of childhood eye misalignment. These cases should be carefully evaluated for medical or neurological causes such as:
In one form of strabismus, called esotropia, the eye turns inward ("cross eyed"). Another is called exotropia, where the eye turns outward ("wall eyed"). What are the symptoms of adult strabismus?If the strabismus has been present since an early age, there are usually no symptoms, except for a cosmetic defect. If it develops later, double vision most commonly occurs. Additionally, some adults with strabismus will have:
What causes double vision?When ones eyes are misaligned, each eye sees a different image. Infants and children can ignore the image from one eye in order to avoid seeing a double image. Adults who have not had misaligned eyes as children are unable to ignore one of the images, and therefore can have double vision. This can be relieved by closing one eye, wearing a patch, using special prism glasses, or aligning the eyes. How is adult strabismus treated?Most adult strbismus is not difficult or impossible to treat. Options include:
Eye muscle exercises may be helpful in treating a special types of eye misalignment, such as convergence insufficiency, a condition in which the eyes have strabismus while reading or other near work. Glasses with prisms are usually useful for correcting small deviations. The images are realigned by prisms, and the double vision is often relieved. Finally, the eye muscle can be treated with Botulinum, a medicine that temporarily realigns the muscle. Its effect can last for a few months and may result in a permanent change in the eye alignment. How does surgery work?The most widely used treatment for strabismus at any age is surgery on the eye muscles. A tight muscle is surgically loosened by moving the muscle back on the eye. A weak muscle is strengthened by removing a small segment of the muscle to shorten it. Depending on the severity of the strabismus, surgery may involve the straight eye, the misaligned eye, or both. What are adjustable sutures?Adjustable sutures are a special surgical technique which allows for some "fine tuning" of the alignment after surgery. The operation is performed in two stages. In the first stage, one or more muscles are repositioned with surgical "slip knot" sutures. In the second phase, an adjustment performed when the muscle(s) are be repositioned by untying and retying the knots under eye-drop anesthesia. Usually, no adjustment is needed and the slip knot is converted to a standard knot. What are the risks of strabismus surgery?The risks of strabismus surgery are extremely low, but as with all types of surgery there are potential problems. These may include:
In Summary:Adults does not need to live with misaligned eyes. Glasses, prisms, exercises, and other treatments can ofthen help. Surgery can be done to:
Advances in surgical techniques allow an excellent chance of successful alignment and improved cosmesis for most individuals. |
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