Strabismus (also called crossed eyes, deviation, heterotropia, squint, tropia) is a condition where both of your eyes do not look toward the same object together. There are six different muscles that surround the eyes and work together so that both eyes can focus on the same object. For someone with strabismus, these muscles do not work together. As a result, one eye looks at one object, while the other eye turns in a different direction and is focused on another object. When this happens, two different images, one from each eye, are sent to the brain. This confuses the brain, and the brain may learn to ignore the image from the weaker eye. Strabismus is a common condition among children but it can also occur later in life.
What are the symptoms of strabismus?
Symptoms include faulty depth perception and decreased best corrected visual acuity compared to the non-strabismic eye.
How is strabismus diagnosed?
It is usually diagnosed by first performing a cover test with an occluder which will show if there are any eye turns consistent with strabismus.