Would you like to switch to the accessible version of this site?

Go to accessible site Close modal window

Don't need the accessible version of this site?

Hide the accessibility button Close modal window
Accessibility View Close toolbar
Menu
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Meet the Team
  • Patient Center
    • Online Forms
    • Insurance & Payments
    • Order Contacts Online
  • Eyecare Services
    • Eye & Vision Exams
    • Contact Lens Exams
    • Hard To Fit Contacts
    • Eye Surgery
    • Sports Vision
    • Vision Therapy FAQ
    • Computer Vision Treatment
    • Sunglasses
  • Eyewear
  • Contact Us
    • Schedule Appointment
  • MORE
    • Frames
    • Blog
    • Community Content
      • We Can Help With
        • Vitreous Disorders
        • Corneal Disorders
          • Disorders
          • Treatments
        • Glaucoma
        • Refractive Disorders
        • Adult Strabismus
        • Retinal Disorders
        • Cataracts
        • Laser Technology
      • Visual Rehabilitation
      • What is Ophthalmology
      • Newsletters
        • Glasses & Frames
        • Kid's Vision
        • Contacts
        • Conditions That Affect Vision
        • Medical Perspectives
        • Amazing, Interesting Eyes
        • Tips for Healthy Eyes
      • Vision Therapy Programs
      • A Child's Vision
      • All About Eyes
      • Basic Visual Skills
      • Common Eye Conditions
        • Eye Lids
        • Age-Related
        • Changes in Appearance
        • Cognitive and Acquired
        • Injury & Irritation
        • Vision Impairment
      • Vision Problems
      • Contact Lenses
      • Eye Diseases
      • Eye Symptoms
      • Eyeglasses
      • Pediatric Vision Issues
      • Tips and Tricks
      • What is Vision Therapy
    • Testimonials
Logo

(512) 430-4350

Exclusive Offer
No form settings found. Please configure it.
  • Home >
  • Articles >
  • A Child's Vision >
  • Crossed Eyes

Crossed Eyes

  • Created in A Child's Vision
Image of a child with crossed eyes holding a watermelon.

Crossed eyes, also known as strabismus, refer to a condition in which both eyes do not look at the same place at the same time. Often times they both turn in, but may also turn out.

What Causes Crossed Eyes?

The six muscles attached to each eye, which control how it moves, receive signals from the brain. These signals direct the eye’s movements. In normal circumstances, the eyes work in an organized fashion so that both point in the same direction at the same time. With crossed eyes, however, the muscles around the eyes do not work together because some are weaker than others. This causes the eyes to turn inward or in the opposite direction of each other.

It is important to have proper eye alignment. Misalignment can cause:

  • Double vision
  • Poor depth perception
  • Poor vision in the turned eye
  • Confusion

When the eyes are askew, the brain receives mixed images from each eye. In the beginning, the person may suffer from double vision and misperception. Over time, the brain becomes trained to ignore the image it receives from the weaker eye. But, if left untreated, the person may permanently lose vision in the weaker eye.

Risk factors for crossed eyes include family history, a considerable amount of uncorrected farsightedness and medical conditions like stroke, head injury, Down syndrome and cerebral palsy.

Though crossed eyes can develop in older children and adults, it typically develops in infants and young children by the age of three. Though babies are commonly affected, some experience a condition called false strabismus or pseudostrabismus, in which their eyes may appear misaligned, but they in fact are aiming at the same direction. This appearance of crossed eyes can be due to having excess skin over the inner corner of the eyes, or a wide bridge of the nose. As the child'face grows, the appearance of crossed eyes diminishes.

Ways to Treat Crossed Eyes

If the child does truly have crossed eyes, it is vital that he or she get treated. While some believe that the condition can be outgrown, it cannot. Crossed eyes can worsen without treatment. If you are the parent of a child who is older than four months and notice that his or her eyes do not appear to be straight at all times, an examination is in order.

In order to diagnose crossed eyes, a comprehensive eye exam will be performed, and it will concentrate on how the eyes focus and move. This may consist of:

  • Visual acuity – reading letters on near and distance reading charts in order to measure and evaluate the degree to which vision is impacted
  • A review of the patient’s family history
  • Refraction – an instrument known as a phoropter is used to conclude the right lens power needed to rectify refractive errors like astigmatism, nearsightedness and farsightedness. During the test, a series of lenses are placed in front of the patient’s eyes while a handheld lighted instrument (retinoscope) gauges how they focus light.
  • Focusing and alignment testing to determine how well your eyes move, focus and work in unison.
  • An eye health examination to observe the internal and external structures of the eyes.

The information rendered from these tests will allow your optometrist to develop a treatment plan, which can involve prisms, vision therapy, eyeglasses or eye muscle surgery. If the condition is found and treated early, it can often be corrected with excellent outcomes.

  • We Can Help With
    • Vitreous Disorders
    • Corneal Disorders
      • Disorders
      • Treatments
    • Glaucoma
    • Refractive Disorders
    • Adult Strabismus
    • Retinal Disorders
    • Cataracts
    • Laser Technology
  • Visual Rehabilitation
  • What is Ophthalmology
  • Newsletters
    • Glasses & Frames
    • Kid's Vision
    • Contacts
    • Conditions That Affect Vision
    • Medical Perspectives
    • Amazing, Interesting Eyes
    • Tips for Healthy Eyes
  • Vision Therapy Programs
  • A Child's Vision
  • All About Eyes
  • Basic Visual Skills
  • Common Eye Conditions
    • Eye Lids
    • Age-Related
    • Changes in Appearance
    • Cognitive and Acquired
    • Injury & Irritation
    • Vision Impairment
  • Vision Problems
  • Contact Lenses
  • Eye Diseases
  • Eye Symptoms
  • Eyeglasses
  • Pediatric Vision Issues
  • Tips and Tricks
  • What is Vision Therapy

(512) 430-4350


Book Appointment


Email Us

Location

Find us on the map

Hours of Operation

Monday:

8:00 am-6:00 pm

Tuesday:

8:00 am-1:00 pm

Wednesday:

8:00 am-6:00 pm

Thursday:

8:00 am-1:00 pm

Friday:

7:30 am-5:00 pm

Saturday:

Closed

Sunday:

Closed

  • Copyright © 2019 MH Sub I, LLC dba iMatrix.
  • Admin Log In
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Health Disclaimer
  • Cookie Policy