Esotropia
Esotropia symptoms
Here are some of the symptoms patients may experience with esotropia:⁶
- Eyes turning inwards, presenting a blurry and distorted view
- Both eyes crossing inwards
- Developing amblyopia or a lazy eye – a condition that involves one eye receiving weaker brain signals, subsequently causing it to become 'lazy' in response.
- Inability to focus sight on the same point and at the same time. People with esotropia usually only view objects completely using one eye.
How is esotropia caused?
So how does esotropia occur?
- Esotropia is a form of strabismus (squint).
- Esotropia can occur genetically and is common if the child's family has a medical history of strabismus.⁷
How is esotropia treated?
Esotropia treatment depends on how severe it is and you may need repeated treatments to correct the eye misalignment. Another factor to consider before going ahead with treatment is how long you have had esotropia.
For a baby who has had esotropia for just a few months, the chance of treating it is much higher. However, if treatment is being done on an adult patient who has had esotropia for decades, it may take longer to correct the condition, and may require more than one surgical procedure.
Your optometrist may be able to treat the following complications:⁸,⁹
- Misaligned eyes
- Double vision
- Visual barriers, such as incorrect lens prescription
- Amblyopia (lazy eye)
Your optometrist may also treat your esotropia with the following options:
- Prescription glasses and/or contact lenses: This is the first choice for optometrists, as glasses and contact lenses are painless and more affordable than surgery.
- Vision therapy:. The optometrist focuses on building strength in the muscles surrounding the eye. This can improve the vision of the affected eye. This is done by placing a patch over the dominant eye, so the affected eye can exercise its ability to focus on an object independently.
- Botox injections: Not often recommended, but sometimes Botox injections are advised.
- Surgery: This is not performed by the optometrist, but by an ophthalmologist. This is considered a last resort and is not suitable for every type of esotropia. Eye surgery can correct the eye’s misalignment and may improve visual acuity. After the age of 14, this surgery is purely for cosmetic reasons.
Medically reviewed by Dan McGhee on September 29, 2022