Is strabismus just "crossing the eyes"? Doctors remind you to pay attention to these things

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"Doctor, my child's eyeballs are not in the right position. How come he has strabismus?"

"She only has one eye that sometimes 'floats' a little, but it's fine after a while! It's probably not strabismus!"

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Many parents think that only "eye contact" is strabismus, and most other "conditions" are not.

But in fact, "eye-to-eye" is just the tip of the iceberg of squinting! The child's eyes are "squinting", and there may be many "confusing behaviors"👇

● Esotropia (cross-eyed) : One or both eyeballs "move closer" to the bridge of the nose. The angle of deviation is usually larger and is most easily discovered by parents.

Image source: Photo Network

● Exotropia (eye-watching) : It is like the eyes are “absent-minded”, with one eye secretly looking away when looking at something.

Image source: Photo Network

● Upward or downward squint (rolling eyes) : The eyeballs "float" upward or downward, and some children will tilt their heads unconsciously. You may think that they are upset with you, but in fact, their eyes are asking for help.

Image source: Photo Network

When some parents hear about strabismus, they think that as long as the baby does not see it on the outside, it is not a big problem. However, this idea is actually equivalent to turning on the "difficult mode" for the baby's eyes:

Loss of stereoscopic vision

Due to the lack of stereoscopic vision, children’s vision will become “2D quality”, their two eyes will fail to coordinate, and they will not be able to see things in three dimensions .

In daily life, children are unable to accurately judge the distance of objects and may often fall down the stairs, trip and get injured while exercising, etc.

Image source: Photo Network

Double vision and confusion

Diplopia is seeing double images of the same object , and confounding vision is superimposing two different objects on each other . Everything you see looks strange and looks like a "little monster".

This looks very uncomfortable, and the baby will unconsciously see things with one eye, which can easily cause visual fatigue . If left unchecked, over time, the child's visual function will gradually decline until it is lost .

Visual fatigue

Reading books or watching screens for a long time can make your eyes feel like they are on fire, causing headaches and eye pain . No one can stand it.

Decreased self-confidence

His classmates laughed at him for having “crooked eyes”. The kid might feel inferior because of his appearance, and social phobia could develop in a moment.

Image source: Photo Network

So when you grow up, will you just squint? Sorry, the truth is going to break your heart:

👉 If treated after the age of 12 , the appearance of the eyes may be "saved", but normal visual function is basically lost !

👉 Before the age of 3 is a critical period for visual development . If strabismus is found, professional examination and treatment should be carried out as soon as possible .

If strabismus is not treated in time, the child’s future career choices will realistically be “reduced” !

Pilots, surgeons, e-sports players? Sorry, strabismus patients may not even be eligible to apply!

Special reminder👶: 0-3 years old is the golden period of visual development, be careful of these situations👇

✅ Often tilt your head to look at things

✅ Can't grasp the toy accurately, eyes wandering

✅ I always like to keep one eye closed in the sun

✅ Your attention wanders easily when reading or your eyes seem particularly tired

✅ Inaccurate position judgment, frequent falls

Image source: Photo Network

You must go to the doctor quickly!

The key is to seize the golden period !

This "superpower" of the eyes allows you to detect and resolve problems sooner rather than later, making it easier to return to normal .

Early screening is key!

0-3 years old is the critical period for visual development. Take your child to the hospital for regular check-ups to help find out what’s wrong with the eye as early as possible.

Image source: Photo Network

How to treat it?

Don’t panic if you find a problem!

If the child does have strabismus , there are actually many treatment methods . For different situations, the doctor will give a suitable treatment plan based on the child's actual situation.

● Correction of refractive error

If the strabismus is caused by refractive error, glasses are the most basic "magic weapon" . They can help correct vision and make the two eyes better coordinated.

Image source: Photo Network

● Vision training

Some strabismus require vision training to help children rebuild good visual function, such as regular eye exercises and alternating eye covering training .

● Surgical treatment

Some children may need surgery to realign the eye muscles and return the eyes to their normal position .

It is worth reminding everyone that specific problems should be analyzed specifically, and in many cases the above-mentioned treatment plans need to be used at the same time !

In addition, many children may also have amblyopia , so they need to be treated at the same time.

Pay attention to your child’s eye habits

Of course, in addition to professional guidance, parental observation and intervention are equally important !

Parents should pay enough attention, observe their children's daily performance and supervise them to maintain good eye habits!

If you find your child's eyes are crooked, don't delay, go to a regular hospital for treatment immediately.

Statement: This article is a medical-related educational popular science article. It does not involve specific treatment methods or medical behaviors and cannot replace hospital visits.

Experts collaborating on this article

Content Production

Editor: Yang Yali

Map: Eastern Zhou Dynasty