Will strabismus get worse if not operated on?

Written by Tao Yuan
Ophthalmology
Updated on September 06, 2024
00:00
00:00

Strabismus left untreated may either worsen or remain stable. Strabismus is a common eye condition where the eyes do not look in the same direction. When one eye looks directly at an object, the other eye may be misaligned. Depending on the direction of the misalignment, strabismus can be classified into different types such as esotropia, exotropia, and hypertropia. Moreover, based on the different causes of strabismus, it can be divided into accommodative strabismus, paralytic strabismus, concomitant strabismus, and restrictive strabismus. Patients need to visit the ophthalmology department of a hospital for a comprehensive strabismus examination to diagnose the specific type of strabismus, and then receive the corresponding treatment to improve symptoms. For example, accommodative strabismus can be corrected with glasses to adjust refractive errors, thereby eliminating the symptoms of strabismus, while non-accommodative strabismus may require surgical treatment for a cure.

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Li Zhen Dong
Ophthalmology
37sec home-news-image

Can strabismus undergo laser myopia surgery?

If it is an adult with strabismus who also has myopia, it should be considered on a case-by-case basis whether myopia surgery is appropriate. For alternating strabismus, myopia surgery might be considered, but generally, it is not recommended. Since strabismus can cause many problems for the eyes, such as inappropriate positioning of the eyeballs during movement, which can easily lead to diplopia or monocular vision, causing issues like double images or binocular vision dysfunction, meaning there is no stereo vision. Patients with strabismus should first undergo strabismus surgery, then consider myopia surgery.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Tao Yuan
Ophthalmology
1min 7sec home-news-image

Can strabismic amblyopia be cured after adulthood?

Strabismic amblyopia is one of the most common types of amblyopia, and it cannot be cured if the patient is already an adult. The formation of amblyopia is due to abnormal development of the retinal function in childhood, which leads to the patient experiencing reduced vision. Patients with strabismus have non-parallel visual lines of both eyes, which causes them to see inconsistent images, thus forming double images. This will make the brain suppress the vision of one eye to eliminate the symptoms of double images. The development of the retina in the suppressed eye will be abnormal, resulting in amblyopia. Treatment needs to be carried out before the age of 12 by covering the eye with better vision, and then conducting amblyopia training to stimulate the development of the retinal function of the weaker eye, thereby gradually improving vision. Subsequently, strabismus corrective surgery is used to treat strabismus, restoring the eyes' visual lines to a parallel state. After adulthood, as the development of retinal function has stopped, amblyopia can no longer be treated.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Li Zhen Dong
Ophthalmology
46sec home-news-image

Can strabismus and myopia be treated at the same time?

Surgery for strabismus and myopia cannot be performed at the same time. Strabismus involves surgery to adjust the eye muscles. There are two surgical methods for myopia: one is corneal laser ablation surgery, and the other is ACL surgery. Myopia surgery mainly requires stable vision, the patient must be over 18 years old, have a strong desire to stop wearing glasses, and have a clear diagnosis from examinations, then surgery can be considered. Strabismus must be classified; early stage paralytic strabismus is generally not advised for surgery. Concomitant strabismus may be treated surgically. If there is also refractive error, dilated refraction and prescription glasses should also be considered.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Li Zhen Dong
Ophthalmology
45sec home-news-image

Does strabismus require dilated refraction?

Strabismus also requires dilated refraction to investigate the causes and characteristics of refractive errors, which include myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism, and amblyopia. Additionally, it could be related to other eye conditions. Strabismus in adolescents is mostly caused by amblyopia and sometimes congenital issues. If strabismus is solely due to refractive errors, it can typically be corrected gradually through dilated refraction and proper eyeglass fitting. However, congenital strabismus generally requires surgical treatment. Therefore, it is quite necessary to perform dilated refraction again in cases of strabismus.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Tao Yuan
Ophthalmology
1min 5sec home-news-image

Will strabismus get worse if not operated on?

Strabismus left untreated may either worsen or remain stable. Strabismus is a common eye condition where the eyes do not look in the same direction. When one eye looks directly at an object, the other eye may be misaligned. Depending on the direction of the misalignment, strabismus can be classified into different types such as esotropia, exotropia, and hypertropia. Moreover, based on the different causes of strabismus, it can be divided into accommodative strabismus, paralytic strabismus, concomitant strabismus, and restrictive strabismus. Patients need to visit the ophthalmology department of a hospital for a comprehensive strabismus examination to diagnose the specific type of strabismus, and then receive the corresponding treatment to improve symptoms. For example, accommodative strabismus can be corrected with glasses to adjust refractive errors, thereby eliminating the symptoms of strabismus, while non-accommodative strabismus may require surgical treatment for a cure.