Understanding Intermittent exotropia: Causes, Symptoms, and Management

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Intermittent exotropia

by Alike Medical Team ∙ Updated on June 13, 2023

Additional names

This group contains additional names: - Intermittent Alternating Exotropia

General

Intermittent exotropia is a very common type of eye misalignment. Sometimes one or both eyes turn toward the ear. One eye turns out at a time, while the other eye points straight ahead. It is unknown what causes this condition. Experts believe that affected patients' brains have difficulty controlling eye position.

11 people with Intermittent exotropia

Learn from others who are experiencing Intermittent exotropia.

Signs & symptoms

A child's eye moves abnormally outward when focusing on distant targets, such as watching television. The effect can also occur when focusing on a near target, but it is less noticeable There are times when the child's eye deviation occurs only when they are daydreaming, ill, or tired. It may occur infrequently or throughout the day Most children do not report double vision, but a few do There are a few children who report eye strain and/or headaches, but the majority don't Sunlight causes a lot of people to squint There is often excessive blinking

Diagnosis

It is important to obtain an in-depth history regarding the age of onset, frequency, duration, and whether the deviation is increasing in frequency and/or duration. Furthermore, it is important to determine whether the deviation is more apparent at a distance, near, or both. Obtaining a baseline evaluation and monitoring deterioration and progression of intermittent exotropia requires assessing control of intermittent exotropia.

Treatment

Depending on the severity of the problem, the signs and symptoms, and the wishes of the patient and family, treatment recommendations will be made. If the drifting eye movement is mild, observation may suffice. It is possible for the condition to remain the same for a long period of time or even improve. There are several treatment options available when drifting eye movement is more pronounced. Exercises for strengthening the control of the eyes. Small amounts of eye drift are best treated with eye exercises In order to stimulate convergence, glasses with too strong lenses called over-minus lenses are prescribed. An eye muscle surgery improves eye alignment by loosening or tightening the eye muscles in one or both eyes. In the case of excessive eye drift, eye muscle surgery is usually the best option The effectiveness of eye patches for improving eye alignment is unclear. In most cases, patching does not alter the course of the problem

Note

☝ We provide information on prescription and over-the-counter medicines, diagnosis, procedures and lab tests. This material is provided for educational purposes only and is not medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

National Institutes of Health ∙ World Health Organization ∙ MedlinePluse ∙ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

☝ All information has been reviewed by certified physicians from Alike

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