Exotropia or exophoria
Exotropia is a defect that occurs when the eyes are turned outward, which causes a major blurred vision problem. Exophoria is a type of strabismus and is also known colloquially as wall eyes.
The exophoria can be congenital o acquired and it is more common in women than in men.
Exotropia or exophoria
Exotropia is a defect that occurs when the eyes are turned outward, which causes a major blurred vision problem. Exophoria is a type of strabismus and is also known colloquially as wall eyes.
The exophoria can be congenital o acquired and it is more common in women than in men.
What is exotropia or exophoria?
Exophoria or exotropia is a condition that occurs when the eyes are not aligned correctly, but are found diverted out.
This condition, which It can be congenital or acquired, usually manifests between the 2 and 4 years old. In general, people who suffer from it are unaware that they suffer a visual limitation.
People with exotropia point their eyes to the opposite side of the person they are seeing. At the beginning of the disease, the symptoms are more evident when the child is looking towards the horizon.
Diagnosing this condition in time is important to offer children a better quality of life.
Types of exotropia
There are different forms of exotropia, let's know below what they are:
congenital exotropia
Congenital exophoria or divergent strabismus congenital is the one affects from birth causing childhood strabismus. Any deviation that occurs in the eyes from birth or during childhood should be thoroughly examined to rule out other problems in the ocular structure.
Intermittent or alternating exotropia
As its name infers, intermittent exotropy is what causes eyes turned out occasionally, that is, there are periods in the life of the person in which he suffers from exoforia and others in which he does not.
Usually, the episodes are triggered by external factors such as insomnia, accumulated fatigue, consumption of alcoholic beverages and some diseases.
The frequency of intermittent exotropia may increase over time until become a constant condition.
sensory exotropia
This type of exophoria is the one that occurs in eyes with poor or poor vision. Unlike the other types of exotropia, this is caused because one of the two eyes has difficulty working together with the other and tends to deviate outward.
sensory exotropia can start early or may be acquired over time due to loss of vision.
consecutive exotropia
This type of exotropia is the one that occurs as consequence of a surgery to treat strabismus. Consecutive exotropia can occur immediately after the intervention or appear years after having undergone it.
Causes of exotropia
So far, the exact cause of exotropia or exophoria is unknown, although it is believed that this condition is related to the functioning of the muscles responsible for eye movement.
In correct vision, these muscles work together receiving signals from the brain and directing the movements of the eyes so that they focus on the same object.
When a problem occurs that prevents the muscles from working together and in an aligned manner, we say that a problem can occur squint such as exotropia.
Other theories and studies find different causes, such as:
- Mechanical or anatomical defects of the ocular orbit.
- Excess divergence or insufficient convergence.
Main symptoms
Exotropia usually manifests during childhood, between the 2 and 4 years old, and is quite noticeable when the child looks at an object at a long distance.
Children with exoforia are not aware that they have a vision problem, so it is important that parents are very aware of the appearance of the following symptoms:
- Eyes or eye turned out slightly or clearly.
- The child rubs his eyes constantly.
- The child covers one eye to see better with the other.
- It has blurred vision and / or photophobia.
In case of suspicion of exotropia, it is essential to take the child to an ophthalmologic consultation so that the pediatric ophthalmology and strabismus examine the structure deeply.
Typically, the ophthalmologist will perform a series of tests to determine divergent strabismus, such as the eye motility test, occlusion, alignment and focus test, visual acuity test, and refraction.
Treatment of exophoria
The exophoria or exotropia is mild, it is usually corrected, in the first instance, wearing glasses and performing visual therapy to improve eye movements. The use of glasses or contact lenses is usually prescribed to people with exotropia who have, in turn, myopia or another refractive defect.
When the exophoria is moderate, it is recommended to place the child a patch in one eye to stimulate the alignment and correct the deviation. This treatment is used to correct exotropia combined with amblyopia.
If you try to correct the exotropia by conventional methods and a solution is not found, you can opt for a surgical correction.
Exotropia surgery is performed through a small incision in the tissue that lines the muscle of the eye. Once the incision is made, the posture of the muscles that are involved in the condition is corrected.
