The American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus reports that approximately 4% of the population suffers from strabismus, which is the medical term for being cross eyed. This condition poses special challenges, but the following advice can help you better deal with it. At Wilkins’ Opticians, we have been helping Spartanburg residents live with being cross eyes many years.

What Causes Strabismus?

A series of muscles control your eyes’ movements. If any one of them becomes weakened, it can result in a misalignment of one or both eyes. Strabismus is generally classified according to the direction of the misalignment such as:

• Esotropia, or eyes that turn inward
• Exotropia, or outward-turning eyes
• Hypertropia and hypotropia, which are forms of vertical misalignment

Treatment Options

Strabismus treatment involves strengthening the weak muscles to improve alignment of the eyes. Treatment involves eye exercises, patches, and in some cases, surgery. Prescription eyeglasses are normally recommended to improve vision and negate some of the negative effects of being cross eyed.

Daily Precautions

Those with strabismus can experience double vision, poor depth perception, and a lack of peripheral vision. As such, they must take extra precautions to avoid injury. Children should therefore be supervised at all times and avoid activities that might cause them to lose their balance.

Adults with strabismus are often prohibited from driving or operating machinery. Both adults and children should take frequent breaks from electronic devices to prevent eye strain that might further weaken the muscles. Aside from these precautions, we also advise scheduling regular visits with an optometrist. Frequent eye exams will help you take control of your condition.

Optometry Professionals at Spartanburg 

Many of our Spartanburg patients must contend with strabismus as a way of life. Others may find themselves suddenly cross eyed with seemingly no explanation. This requires medical attention to rule out the possibility of stroke or other illness. For more information or to schedule an appointment with our optometry professionals, call Wilkins’ Opticians today at (864) 585-2249.