Why does closing one eye correct strabismus?

Written by Tao Yuan
Ophthalmology
Updated on September 23, 2024
00:00
00:00

When a patient with strabismus closes one eye, the other deviated eye automatically returns to the correct position, which is a normal phenomenon. Strabismus refers to the direction of the eyes' gaze not being parallel; when one eye is looking straight ahead at a target, the gaze of the other eye will deviate. Based on the direction of deviation, strabismus can be classified into several types such as esotropia (inward deviation), exotropia (outward deviation), and vertical strabismus. When one eye is covered, the originally deviated eye will move to the correct position to clearly see the target directly in front; however, the covered eye will then exhibit deviation. Therefore, strabismus is not eliminated but merely appears from an external perspective that the deviated eye has returned to its normal position. To completely eliminate the symptoms of strabismus, surgery is required for correction.

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 Li Zhen Dong
Ophthalmology
43sec home-news-image

Can strabismus be redone if it recurs?

After strabismus surgery, if the eye alignment is still incorrect, reoperation should be considered only after six months. Additionally, one should consider the uncorrected visual acuity, corrected visual acuity, eye movement, and the condition of the eye muscles to determine whether the issue is due to refractive errors or eye muscle paralysis. Reoperation must be approached with caution. The primary cause of strabismus is an issue with the eye muscles, and this can lead to various eye diseases. Therefore, it is crucial to conduct thorough ophthalmological examinations and pay attention to the eye movement and the condition of the binocular vision system.

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.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Tao Yuan
Ophthalmology
56sec home-news-image

Does strabismus diplopia occur in the early stages or later stages?

Patients with strabismus often exhibit symptoms of double vision in the early stages of the condition. Strabismus is a common ophthalmologic disease characterized by non-parallel visual directions of the eyes and uncoordinated eyeball movements. When one eye looks straight ahead at a target, the visual direction of the other eye may deviate. Based on the direction of deviation, strabismus can be further divided into types such as esotropia, exotropia, and vertical strabismus. Due to the inconsistent visual directions of both eyes in strabismus patients, the scenes viewed by each eye are different. The brain cannot merge the different views from both eyes, resulting in the appearance of double vision symptoms. The more severe the symptoms of strabismus, the more pronounced the symptoms of double vision typically are, and strabismus can be treated surgically to eliminate symptoms.

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.