Question
Do Strabismus and Amblyopia go hand in hand? Are they the same thing? I
had eye surgery twice around the age of 5 years old. I am now 37. I had surgery on one
eye at a time. After the surgery, I had glasses that I didn't wear regularly as a child and
I never did vision therapy. I am wondering if that is why I still have problems to this
day. My right eye is the weak (amblyopic?) eye and I think my left eye is okay. But I
know that when I am tired my eyes probably appear crossed or my right eye turns
inward. I am also farsighted and I suffer from diplopia only when looking at things at a
distance. Is there any hope for me? I am very self conscious about it. I know that other
people notice it and it has kept me from doing many things that I would love to do, such
as finish school, etc. Is there anything that may help?
(Theresa M.)
Answer:
Dear Theresa,
You don't mention whether you wear glasses. If the right eye occasionally turns inward
and you are farsighted, that would be the first thing to correct. Alternatively, you could
use contact lenses.
What puzzles me further is that you suffer from double vision when looking in the
distance, whereas the right eye turns inward when tired. These two are difficult to
reconcile. Please give some more details.
Yours truly,
(Herb Simonsz, MD, PhD)
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