Strabismus is an eye condition that causes one or both of your eyes to turn inwards, outwards, upward, or downward, and can be described as squinting or looking cross-eyed. This eye condition is usually present from birth but can develop at any point during childhood.
Although strabismus is not common in adults, it can occur at any age. For that, Dr David Stager will discuss the possible side effects that may come with having strabismus among adults.
Reduced Depth Perception
One common side effect of strabismus is reduced depth perception, or the ability to judge the distance of objects. This may lead to dangerous situations when driving, playing sports, and other activities that require good depth perception. Reduced depth perception is often caused by strabismus and can be improved with glasses or surgery.
Flattened Peripheral Vision
Your peripheral vision may be slightly impaired, and this is because strabismus can lead to a flattening of the cornea, which causes a loss of peripheral vision. The loss in this area can be significant enough that it becomes difficult to drive or perform other activities that require good depth perception, such as sports and construction work.
Reduced Brightness Perception
In adults with strabismus, brightness perception is reduced. This can make driving and other activities more dangerous because the person has trouble seeing objects in the distance. In one study, researchers found that patients who had had surgery to correct their crossed eyes were able to see better than those who had not received surgery.
Impaired Depth Perception Can Lead To Problems With Driving
Some patients with strabismus report difficulty in seeing objects at the sides of their visual field. This is known as “lateral visual field deficit.” In other words, these patients have a hard time seeing things on either side of them, in addition to having trouble focusing on an object straight ahead.
This makes it difficult for them to navigate through various crowded spaces like grocery stores and malls, mainly because they’re missing out on important information about objects around them (like where people are walking).