General information
Strabismus as a visual disorder occurs very often in children. One eye (or both) deviates from the parallel position, so that both eyes do not look in the same direction. In all four directions, the squinting eye can deviate from the “normal position”: Even small children can be affected by this visual disorder, but a later development towards strabismus is also possible. About 5-7 out of 100 people in Germany are affected by the disease.
- Down,
- To the top,
- To the outside or inside.
Forms of strabismus and causes
Strabismus in children can have various causes, but usually a family predisposition plays a role. Strabismus is also possible due to different degrees of pulling of the eye muscles. In some cases, one eye also has a visual impairment.
The so-called concomitant strabismus is very common. The squinting eye follows the movements of the healthy eye and thus accompanies the healthy eye. This form of strabismus occurs especially in children up to the age of 4 years and the reason for it remains mostly unexplained.
However, farsightedness and a different refractive power of the eyes are made responsible for strabismus. Paralytic strabismus is caused by paralysis of one or more eye muscles and therefore it is not possible to look in certain directions. This form of strabismus is possible at any age and there are many known causes, such as injuries to the eye muscles or circulatory problems.
In addition, there is also the latent strabismus. This is caused by an imbalance of the eye muscles. Usually, the imbalance can be corrected and the children are not affected by strabismus.
However, if the affected children are very tired, for example, the imbalance of the eye muscles can no longer be compensated and strabismus occurs. Strabismus inwardly occurs much more frequently in children than strabismus outwardly. An object that is to be perceived from a distance is usually fixed with both eyes in parallel viewing direction.
If one eye deviates inwardly towards the nose, this is known as internal strabismus. The most common form of inward strabismus is the early childhood strabismus syndrome. It is already present at birth and is diagnosed in the first 6 months of life.
Frequently, an oblique position of the head in the direction of the leading eye and a large, changing squint angle are observed. Strabismus outwards is much less common than strabismus inwards and occurs more often in adults than in children. The most common form is intermittent outward strabismus.
In this case, the eye axes deviate outwards only in the distance. When looking at objects that are close by, normal vision is present. In mild cases, it occurs only periodically and can be aggravated by fatigue or psychological stress.
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