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Ophthalmology Clinic
is a broad category of eye muscle disorders that causes misalignment
of the eyes. These problems often are corrected with surgery that
repositions some of the six muscles that control eye movement. Eye
patches, prescription glasses or a muscle relaxant such as Botox may
also reduce or eliminate strabismus.
Strabismus is commonly
known as crossed eyes, "lazy" eyes, wandering eyes, wall eyes,
double vision, or floating eyes. Medical terminology for these
conditions are amblyopia, esotropia, exotropia, hypertropia,
diplopia or cranial nerve palsy. Eye muscle disorders
affect up to 4 percent of children and are not just a cosmetic
problem.
Some types of strabismus
are corrected early in infancy, at 4 to 6 months of age. Other
types are better watched and treated later. For instance, wall eyes
tends to occur intermittedly and are most often
corrected with surgery at 4 to 5 years old.
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Ophthalmologists at Texas
Children's often operate on adults with strasbismus.
Read more
in a feature published by the Houston Chronicle. |
Poor vision during
childhood interferes with learning, school performance, and sports
play, and leads to poor socialization and self-esteem problems. Even
in young children, successful strabismus surgery may improve a
patient's self-confidence and feelings of attractiveness.
While it most often
appears and is corrected in childhood, strabismus also occurs in
adulthood. Because it is so rarely seen in adults, adult strabismus
patients are usually referred to pediatric ophthalmologists for
surgery. The Texas Children's Ophthalmology Clinic is nationally
known for its ability to handle complex strabismus cases for both
children and adults.
Blocked tear ducts occurs
in 6 percent of all children and usually resolves itself by the time
a baby is six months to 1 year old. In the few children where the
problem does not correct itself, outpatient surgery may be required
at 9 to 10 months of age.
Other terms for blocked
tear ducts include:
Non-surgical treatment
usually includes massaging the area between the eye and nose and
using antibiotic drops.
Read more about blocked
tear ducts in babies and how it is corrected.
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