Strabismus (eye turn) treatment in London, Ontario

What strabismus is

An eye can turn in (esotropia), out (exotropia), or up or down (hypertropia or hypotropia). Some eye turns are constant. Others appear only when someone is tired, unwell, daydreaming or looking into the distance.

In children, the brain often switches off the turned eye to avoid double vision, which can lead to amblyopia. Adults with a new eye turn usually notice double vision.

A new eye turn or sudden double vision, at any age, needs a same-day medical assessment. Contact your optometrist or family doctor, or go to the emergency department. It can be a sign of a condition that needs urgent care.

Signs to watch for

• One eye drifting in photos or when tired
• Closing one eye in bright sunlight
• Double vision
• A habitual head tilt or turn
• Trouble with depth, such as catching, stairs or parking
• Eye strain or headaches with close work

How we assess it

We measure the size and direction of the eye turn, how often it happens, whether the eyes can straighten on their own, how well each eye sees, depth perception, and whether the brain is suppressing one eye.

How we treat it

The right treatment depends on the type of eye turn:

• Glasses. Some inward turns are driven by focusing effort and improve with the right prescription.
• Prism lenses. Prisms shift the image to reduce double vision or strain.
• Vision therapy. Therapy builds the control and teamwork the eyes need to stay aligned. It is most often used for intermittent eye turns, where the eyes can still straighten some of the time.
• Surgery. Some eye turns need surgery by an ophthalmologist. Therapy before or after surgery can help the eyes work together once they're aligned.

We'll tell you plainly whether therapy is a good fit, and recommend seeing an ophthalmologist when surgery should be considered.

Related