Accommodative esotropia causes crossed eyes in children with undiagnosed vision problems, but can be corrected with glasses or surgery. Regular eye tests are important for early detection.
Accommodative esotropia is an ophthalmological problem most commonly found in presbyopic children who have not yet been diagnosed with vision problems. In children with accommodative esotropia, the eyes show esotropia, in which one or both eyes roll inward toward the nose as they attempt to focus on distant objects. Also known as ‘crossed eyes’, esotropia caused by vision problems is very correctable with a visit to an ophthalmologist and the correction will make a huge difference in a patient’s quality of life.
People with farsightedness or farsightedness have small variations in their eyes that make focusing difficult because the person’s focal point of vision is actually shifted behind the retina. The eyes will do their best to compensate, and when someone is focusing hard on something or is very tired, one or both eyes may start to drift toward the nose while trying to focus. The umbrella term “strabismus” is used to describe situations where the eyes do not line up, and in the case of esotropia, the squint manifests itself as strabismus to some extent.
Often, accommodative esotropia can be treated with glasses or contact lenses to correct vision. Vision correction will limit the difficulty of focusing and reduce eye strain. In some cases, bifocals may be prescribed to address vision problems with both near and distant objects. Improvement is usually almost immediate with glasses.
In other cases, strabismus surgery may need to be conducted to address the problem. Surgery is usually only recommended after it is clear that wearing corrective devices won’t work. Before undertaking surgery for children with accommodative esotropia, parents should ask about the risks of the surgery, healing time, and any special aftercare instructions that will need to be followed.
Eye problems in young children often go unrecognized unless the child has obvious symptoms such as accommodative esotropia. Your child may not realize that her vision is abnormal, especially before starting school. Once in school, eye problems are sometimes mistaken for learning disabilities or other problems, unless a child specifically identifies a vision problem such as an inability to see the blackboard. It’s a good idea to take a child to an ophthalmologist periodically for tests to confirm that the eyes are healthy and to identify early signs of vision problems so that treatment can be provided in a timely manner.
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