Strabismus. Treatment and management

  As with other binocular vision disorders, the primary therapeutic goal for those with strabismus is comfortable, single, clear, normal binocular vision at all distances and directions of gaze.

  If minor and detected early, amblyopia (lazy eye) can often be corrected with enforced use of an eyepatch on the dominant eye and/or vision therapy. The use of eyepatches is unlikely to change the angle of strabismus. Advanced strabismus is usually treated with a combination of eyeglasses or prisms, vision therapy, and surgery, depending on the underlying reason for the misalignment. Surgery attempts to align the eyes by shortening, lengthening, or changing the position of one or more of the extraocular eye muscles, and is frequently the only way to achieve cosmetic improvement. Glasses affect the position by changing the person's reaction to focusing. Prisms change the way light, and therefore images, strike the eye, simulating a change in the eye position.

  Early treatment of strabismus and/or amblyopia in infancy can reduce the chance of developing amblyopia and depth perception problems. Eyes that remain misaligned can still develop visual problems. Although not a cure for strabismus, prism lenses can also be used to provide some comfort for sufferers and to prevent double vision from occurring.

  In adults with previously normal alignment, the onset of strabismus usually results in double vision (diplopia).

  Advocates of the Bates method assert that it can reverse strabismus, however, this claim is rejected by the vast majority of mainstream eyecare professionals.