Treatment Options For Your Child's Crossed Eyes

If your child suffers from crossed eyes (strabismus), your optometrist may offer a few different suggestions regarding the best methods for treating the condition. It will take time, but many times the right treatments can make a noticeable difference. This article will explain some of the different treatments known to help with crossed eyes so you have a better understanding of what the optometrist is suggesting.

Prescription glasses: If your child has crossed eyes due to extreme farsightedness, then wearing prescription glasses, or even contacts, can help treat the condition. The corrective lenses will work on the farsightedness and this will naturally help to correct the crossing of the eyes.

Patching one eye: If your child has one eye that's significantly stronger than the other eye, this can cause their eyes to cross as well. In this case, covering the stronger eye will force the weaker eye to work harder. After time, this will help the weaker eye to catch up. The end result should be your child having eyes that work at a more even strength.

Botox injections: In some cases, a Botox injection can be used to help treat the condition. This works if the problem is due to the tightening of muscles in the eye. The Botox will help to relax the muscles and help make it easier for both eyes to focus on an object.

Eye surgery: Eye surgery may be a treatment you want to put off until you have exhausted all other options for your child's condition. While surgery can be very successful with regards to realigning the muscles in your child's eyes, it is the treatment option that also comes with the most risks.

Vision therapy: Vision therapy is another form of treatment for crossed eyes. The therapy will take your child through vision exercises under the supervision of a doctor or office like Absolute Vision Care. The exercises will be tailored to your child's specific needs and the goal of the therapy will be to resolve the vision problem and help them to see correctly.

If you notice your child's eye's look as if they may be crossing, even if it's very slight, you should get them in to see an optometrist so they can start the proper treatment as soon as possible. This way, the correction can begin taking place while they are still young. Putting off treatment for this type of condition has no benefits to offer.