This common strabismus, or eye misalignment, is characterized by an outward turning of one or both eyes. It is the opposite of esotropia, or when eyes are crossed. It often appears in early childhood, and may even resolve in the first few months of life. It is usually more apparent when a child is tired, sick, daydreaming, or focused on a distant object.
There are no known causes of exotropia, but the condition may be associated with poor vision in one eye or third cranial nerve palsy. When there is a family history of strabismus, patients should be seen by a pediatric ophthalmologist.
While a child’s brain usually has the ability to turn off the images from the wandering eye, patients may experience poor vision or depth perception issues. Other symptoms include light sensitivity and the outward deviation of one eye. Patients may experience eyestrain, headaches, reading problems, and blurry vision.
Your ophthalmologist will review your family and medical history, and conduct a vision test and motor sensory exam, including an ocular alignment test. A slit-lam exam, refraction test and retina exam may also be conducted.
In some cases, a child’s exotropia may be monitored without treatment. Surgery may be needed to straighten or realign the eye muscles to correct vision and prevent vision loss. Surgery is typically an outpatient surgery with quick recovery. Glasses, exercises, or prisms are sometimes prescribed to control the outward turning eye in some children.
The Cizik Eye Clinic opened in 2007 and is housed in Memorial Hermann Plaza at 6400 Fannin Street. It includes dozens of exam areas, multiple operating rooms, and laser suites equipped with the most sophisticated equipment available for patient care.
People travel from across the country and the world for treatment at the Cizik Eye Clinic, in part because our affiliation with the McGovern Medical School at UTHealth provides unmatched resources and expertise. Our friendly staff works diligently to make your visit pleasant and efficient, as we maximize patient flow through everything from routine eye exams to the most advanced eye surgeries.
Our physicians are faculty members at McGovern Medical School and are board certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology or are board eligible. At the Cizik Eye Clinic, we understand that the eye is a small part of a whole patient who deserves top-notch, comprehensive care in a cutting-edge facility.
At Robert Cizik Eye Clinic, we offer patients access to highly specialized eye and vision care. To ask us a question, schedule an appointment, or learn more about us, please call (713) 486-9400, or click below to send us a message. In the event of an emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest Emergency Room.