Crossed Eyes (Strabismus)

Strabismus has mistakenly been called lazy eye or amblyopia, which refers to diminished vision in one or both eyes beyond what is expected after correcting any eye problem as fully as possible. However, strabismus can lead to amblyopia. When the eyes are not aligned, the brain receives two different images, resulting in double vision. In young children the visual system has not reached full maturity and the brain is able to suppress the image from one eye to avoid double vision. Amblyopia results if vision from one eye is consistently suppressed and the other eye becomes dominant. Among children with strabismus, one-third to one-half develop amblyopia. Although strabismus may be obvious to the observer, only an eye doctor can confirm the diagnosis of amblyopia.

Symptoms

Symptoms of strabismus include:

• Eyes that look misaligned

• Eyes that do not appear to move together

• Frequent blinking or squinting, especially in bright sunlight

• Tilting the head to look at things

• Faulty depth perception

• Double vision