VISION PROBLEMS
WANDERING EYE
Wandering eye disorder, scientifically called strabismus (Modern Latin, from Greek strabismos or strabizein means "to squint", strabos "squinting, squint-eyed") is a condition in which the eyes are not aligned correctly with each other. It generally is because of a lack of coordination between the extraocular muscles which prevents each eye from focusing on the same point and preventing proper binocular vision. This also likely adversely affects one's depth perception.
A wandering eye, can be a disorder of the brain with coordinating the eyes, or a disorder of one or more muscles. Wandering eye problems are usually co-managed between orthoptists and ophthalmologists. A wandering eye should not be confused with a lazy eye. "Wandering eye" is also a term that is used to describe when a person in a committed relationship sees someone he or she is mentally or physically attracted to other then his spouse, partner, or significant other, sometimes leading to infidelity or an affair.
During eye exams, eye doctors (orthoptists, ophthalmologists and optometrists), typically use a cover test to help with a diagnosis of wandering eye. If the eye being tested is the wandering eye, it will fixate on the object after the "normal" eye is covered. If the "normal" eye is being tested, there will be no change in fixation.
The eye exam for strabismus is the Hirschberg test. A light is shined in the subject's eye. When the subject is looking at it, a reflection will be seen on the pupil's surface. If the eyes are correctly aligned with each other, the reflection will be in the same spot of each eye. If not, the eyes are not properly aligned.
As with other vision disorders, the primary goal is comfortable, single, clear, normal binocular vision at all distances and directions. Strabismus is generally treated with a combination of eyeglasses or prisms, vision therapy, and surgery (depending on the reason for the misalignment). Surgery does not correct the vision. It attempts to realign the eyes by changing the position or length of one or more of the eye muscles and is usually the only way to achieve improvement.
Early treatment of visual problems, and treatment in infancy can reduce the chances of depth perception problems and double vision. Eyes that remain misaligned can still develop severe visual problems. Prism lenses can also be used for comfort for sufferers and to prevent double vision from occurring, but it is not a cure.
"Cross-eyed" means that when a person with strabismus looks at an object, one eye fixates the object and the other fixates with a convergence angle less than zero, that is the optic axes overconverge. "Wall-eyed" means that when a person with strabismus looks at an object, one eye fixates the object and the other fixates with a convergence angle greater than zero, that is the optic axes diverge from parallel.
LAZY EYE
Lazy eye (scientifically known as Amblyopia), is a disorder that is characterized by poor vision in an eye that is otherwise physically normal, or out of proportion to associated structural abnormalities.
The problem is caused by poor or no transmission of the visual image to the tie control sinew connecting both eyes. Unbalanced genes cause Amblyopia, normally affecting one eye. The resulting wander normally occurs under severe stress, it is also possible to be afflicted with blipoamblyopic causing eyes to cross over caused by the shrinking sinew syndrom similarly depriving ones outward visual appearance also impeeding a clear visual image. Detecting the condition in early childhood increases the chance of successful treatment.
While the term "lazy eye" is regularly used to refer to amblyopia, the term is incorrect because there is no "laziness" of either the eye or the amblyope with the condition. "Lazy brain" would be a more correct term to describe lazy eye.
If minor and detected early, amblyopia (lazy eye) can many times be corrected with use of an eyepatch (covering the dominant eye) and/or with vision therapy. These techniques will usually not have any effect on strabismus.
EYE CANCER
Eye cancer is an actual disease that affects the vision of many patients. Our vision is for our clients to support cancer awareness, infromation, education, and research.
Eye cancers can be primary (starts within the eye) and metastatic (spread to the eye from another part of the body). The two most common cancers that spread to the eye from another part of the body are breast cancer and lung cancer.
Here are some ways and/or signs that you may have or be developing eye cancer.
In the early stages there may be no symptoms (the person does not know there is a tumor until an ophthalmologist or optometrist looks into the eye with an ophthalmoscope during a routine test). As the tumor grows, symptoms can be blurred vision, decreased vision, double vision, eventual vision loss and if they continue to grow the tumor can break past the retina causing retinal detachment. Sometimes the tumor can be visible through the pupil.
A freckle in the eye. These should be checked out and regular checks on the eye done to ensure it hasn't turned into a melanoma.
Dark spots. Any spot which continues to grow on the iris and the conjunctiva should be checked out.
Strabismus (discussed above), a whitish or yellowish glow through the pupil, decreasing/loss of vision, sometimes the eye may be red and painful. This can occur in one or both eyes. This tumor occurs in babies and young children. It is called RB, short for Retinoblastoma.
One interesting way to check for this is to look at photographs of your child or children. Normal healthy eyes would have the red eye reflex, but a white/yellow dot instead of the red eye reflex can indicate a tumor or some other kind of eye disease. Any photos of a child/children which have a white/yellow dot instead of the red eye reflex may be an indicator of this problem and you should have your child see an eye doctors immediately.
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