Why choose Ohio State for eye movement disorder treatment
For more than 80 years, The Ohio State University Havener Eye Institute has established a tradition of excellence in ophthalmology. Today, the Department of Ophthalmology sees more than 87,000 patients a year.
Our primary clinic on Olentangy River Road in Columbus has over 50 examination rooms and over 30 eye-care providers. It’s also home to our new Robinson Advanced Imaging Center. Our unsurpassed patient care, world-class research and innovative education program makes us one of the top eye clinics in the nation. All of our experience translates into superior care and better results for you.
Eye movement disorders
When you look at an object, you use several muscles to move both eyes and focus them on the object. If you have a problem with these muscles, your eyes won’t work properly. There are a number of types of eye movement disorders. The most common ones are nystagmus (eye twitching) and strabismus.
Causes of strabismus
Most adults have had strabismus since they were children. It can also be caused by:
- Health problems, such as diabetes or thyroid disease
- Head injury
- Damage to eye muscles during an eye surgery
Symptoms of strabismus
- Weakness in or around your eye
- Feeling that something is pulling around your eye
- Vision changes such as double vision or blurred vision
- Trouble reading
- Loss of depth perception
- Constantly tilting your head to see an image clearly
Diagnosis of strabismus
Strabismus is diagnosed by an ophthalmologist. They will do the following:
- Test your visual acuity: with this test, you’ll read letters on a reading chart, both near and at a distance
- Conduct a refraction test: refraction can determine the appropriate lens power you need to compensate for nearsightedness or farsightedness
- Alignment and focusing testing: this assesses how well your eyes focus, move and work together
- Examination of eye health: using various testing procedures, your ophthalmologist will observe the internal and external structures of your eyes. This is to rule out any eye disease that can contribute to strabismus
Treatment of strabismus
- Glasses or contact lenses
- Prism lenses, which are special lenses that are thicker on one side than the other
- Vision therapy, which is a structured program of visual activities designed to improve your eye coordination and focusing
- Eye muscle surgery, which can change the length or position of the muscles around your eyes
