Overview

Strabismus includes accommodating esotropia, which occurs in cases of uncorrected farsightedness and a family history of eyes turning inward. Intermittent exotropia involves one eye fixating on a target while the other points outward. Infantile esotropia occurs in babies before 6 months old and requires surgery to correct alignment. Strabismus can be described as horizontal (esotropia), vertical (hypertropia), or alternating (hypotropia). It can also be classified based on nerve malfunctions, such as oculomotor palsy, superior oblique palsy, or abducens palsy, which affect the third, fourth, and sixth cranial nerves.

Causes

Some causes include 

• Muscle dysfunction 

• Farsightedness (hyperopia) 

• Problems with cognition 

• Injuries or infections. 

• Premature birth 

• Cerebral palsy 

• Family history of the illness is another cause.

Symptoms

Strabismus symptoms include 

• Double vision

• Concealing or closing one eye when observing anything close by. 

• Shifting your head to the side 

• Headaches 

• Problems with reading 

• Tiredness of the eyes 

• Shutting one eye when gazing at distant objects or in bright light.

Ayurvedic View

Netra vikara- this condition affects the eye, but not the vision. Due to beeja dushti (genetics or events during pregnancy), aggravation of dosha, namely vata, at conception time leads to strabismus or squint. The Ayurveda way of approach is to bring the dosha back to balance, treat the associated symptoms and help in reducing the extent of squint by Ayurvedic panchakarma treatment and treatment done for the eye.