Strabismus is considered to be a childhood pathology, but in adults it is a much more significant problem, since it can be a symptom of a dangerous disease. In addition, strabismus in adults is more difficult to treat, and mainly by surgical methods.

What ordinary people call strabismus is called strabismus in medical language. The essence of this pathological condition is the violation of friendly eye movement. Strabismus is not only a cosmetic defect, the owners of this ailment lose binocular vision, that is, they cannot correctly determine the relative position of objects in space.

It is generally accepted that strabismus is a childhood disease, and this statement is partly true. In more than 70% of patients, this problem is detected in childhood. However may suffer squint and adults, and in this category of patients it is much more difficult to treat.

Classification of strabismus

By the timing of the onset and stability of manifestations:

• Congenital and acquired
• Periodic and constant.

By the involvement of the eyes in the process:

• Monolateral, or unilateral - mows down only one eye.
• Alternating, or intermittent - alternately mows one or the other eye.

By the way, both eyes cannot mow at the same time. One of them always looks where he should. There is an imaginary strabismus, in which it seems that both eyes are squinting. At the same time, the friendliness of the movement of the eyeballs is not disturbed, and the cosmetic defect is due to innate features of the structure of the skull or eye sockets.

By severity:

• Latent - the absence of binocular vision, detected with the help of special equipment.
• Compensated - diagnosed using special ophthalmic tests.
• Subcompensated - by an effort of will it is possible to return an eye that has gone to the side.
• Decompensated - uncontrollable.

In the direction of displacement of the axis of the squinting eye:

• Converging (converging) - the eye "looks" towards the bridge of the nose.
• Diverging (diverging) - the eye is displaced towards the temple.

It is also possible to shift the squinting eye up or down.

Causes of strabismus

According to the etiology, strabismus can be classified into 2 groups.

1. Friendly - mows down then one eye then the second. This pathology arises due to the fact that the "quality" of the image that one of the eyes delivers to the brain is very different from the other. In this case, the brain, as it were, disconnects the picture from one eye, vision ceases to be stereoscopic, and the “disabled” eye begins to squint.

The main cause of friendly strabismus is accommodation disorders - myopia (myopia), farsightedness (hyperopia) and astigmatism. Moreover, with myopia, divergent strabismus most often occurs, and with hyperopia, convergent squint. This type of concomitant strabismus is called accommodative.

Also, this type of strabismus can cause any other pathologies leading to a significant difference in visual acuity between the eyes: cataracts, leukoma (corneal leucorrhoea), dystrophy or retinal detachment, macular degeneration, vitreous hemorrhage, etc. This type of friendly strabismus is called non-accommodating.

With friendly strabismus, the range of motion of the eyeballs is not disturbed, there is no double vision (diplopia).

2. Paralytic - occurs as a result of damage or paralysis of one of the oculomotor muscles.

Causes of strabismus in this case, the following may be:

• injuries or diseases of the eye muscles and orbit;
• brain pathology - strokes, craniocerebral trauma, meningitis, encephalitis, tumors;
• pathology of the oculomotor nerves - neuritis, tumors, complications of infections of the ENT organs (otitis media, sinusitis).

With paralytic strabismus, the range of motion of the affected eye is reduced, and diplopia is present.

Diagnostics

Pronounced strabismus is always noticeable to the patient himself when looking in the mirror, as well as to his environment. Do not think that it will pass by itself. A rhetorical question: " Squints one eye, what to do? "- has only one answer - immediately contact an ophthalmologist. The earlier treatment is started, the higher the chances of success.

The patient himself does not feel latent strabismus, but it can be detected with the help of special ophthalmological tests. Therefore, people at risk (with a pronounced difference in visual acuity between the eyes) should regularly undergo an in-depth examination by an ophthalmologist.

Paralytic strabismus in adults, as already mentioned, can be a symptom or complication of other diseases. Therefore, if you suddenly have double vision and severe squint, you should urgently consult a neurologist, as this may be a sign of nerve inflammation, brain tumor, stroke, or spread of infection from the middle ear into the cranial cavity.

Treatment of strabismus in adults

1. With friendly strabismus, the task of treatment is to restore normal visual acuity.

Accommodation disorders are corrected with glasses, contact lenses or laser correction. Contact lenses are preferred in this case. With severe myopia or hyperopia, the lenses of glasses reduce or increase the size of the image on the retina. Accordingly, if the optical power of the lenses is different, then the image on the retinas of the eyes is of different sizes, which misleads the brain and it is forced to use the image of only one eye, while the other begins to squint.

Non-accommodating disorders (cataracts, leucorrhoea, retinal detachment, etc.) can be treated surgically. In case of cataract, prosthetics of the lens is performed, corneal leucorrhoea is corrected by transplanting it from a donor, hemorrhages in the vitreous body can be attempted to be eliminated surgically. The situation is more complicated with pathologies of the eye vessels or retina. But even here ophthalmology has a number of technical innovations, such as laser correction. People who are predisposed to eye pathologies (hypertension, diabetes mellitus) require regular courses of drug treatment aimed at preventing visual impairment.

2. With paralytic strabismus in adults opportunities treatment extremely limited. If the cause, mainly neurological, cannot be eliminated, an operation is performed to eliminate the cosmetic defect. In this case, binocular vision is not restored.

Eye gymnastics and apparatus methods of eye training recommended by some "traditional healers" or private ophthalmological clinics can correct strabismus in children and adolescents under 14 years of age. In adults, they are ineffective.

The most common is the accommodative squint group. It includes pathology of the horizontal, vertical and mixed types. Accommodation is the ability of the eyes to adapt to a rapidly changing environment. Any kind of it can be called alternating squint. This is due to the alternation of a squinting eye with a healthy one.

With unfriendly strabismus, the eyes deviate from focus at different angles. Often this pathology is associated with paralysis of the oculomotor muscles. In this case, the eyeball of the diseased eye is immobilized.

In order to properly prescribe the treatment of strabismus, the ophthalmologist must clearly define the type of pathology. It is worth noting that friendly types of strabismus are more likely to heal than others.

Causes and symptoms

The causes of strabismus should be examined more specifically. As you know, the specified visual defect can be attributed to a congenital or acquired form.

The appearance of congenital strabismus can be triggered by:

• various anomalies of embryonic development;
• infectious diseases of the mother, transferred during the gestation of the child;
• premature labor;
• serious genetic diseases;
• congenital cataract.

Can congenital strabismus be corrected? No, the indicated pathology cannot be healed. Modern medical science works to alleviate the patient's condition, eliminate an aesthetic defect.

The most common type of disease is acquired strabismus. The common causes of strabismus in adults should be listed:

• hyperopia or high myopia;
• astigmatism;
• cataract;
• thorn;
• benign or malignant retinal tumor;
• serious brain injury;
• optic nerve atrophy;
• paralysis of the muscles of the eye;
• high intracranial pressure;
• neuroinfections (meningitis, encephalitis, etc.);
• severe psychological conditions;
• fright, etc.

Strabismus of this type is well studied and easily amenable to correction. Many are interested in the question of how people with squint can see the world around them. Such patients often perceive any image in a bifurcated form.

Determination of this pathology in adults will not be difficult. Its visual signs should be considered:

• deviation of the eye or eyes towards the bridge of the nose or towards the temple;
• non-simultaneous movement of the eyeballs;
• frequent squinting;
• tilting or turning the head to try to examine an object, etc.

Additional symptoms of strabismus:

• frequent headaches;
• dizziness;
• decreased visual acuity;
• nausea and vomiting;
• memory problems;
• disorders of the vestibular apparatus, etc.

If you notice signs of strabismus in yourself or a loved one, you need to urgently consult an ophthalmologist. If such a patient is not provided with timely qualified assistance, then the disease will progress. Over time, the squinting eye will lose its ability to see.

Diagnostics and conservative treatment in adults

To prescribe an effective treatment for strabismus, it is necessary to conduct a complete ophthalmological examination. How to determine strabismus in a patient who applied for an appointment?

Diagnostics of the specified pathology includes:

• collecting anamnesis, during which the dependence of the development of strabismus on the transferred diseases is established;
• visual examination, during which the eye slits, facial symmetry, the position of the eyeballs are examined;
• correction of visual acuity;
• study of clinical refraction;
• special strabismus test;
• determination of the angle of deviation of the squinting eye;
• measurement of the volume of accommodation, etc.

In some cases, it is necessary to consult a neurologist. After a complete examination and diagnosis, the treatment of strabismus is selected, taking into account the individual characteristics of each patient.

Important tasks of the treatment of strabismus are:

• correction of the visual axes;
• strengthening the eye muscles;
• restoration of synchronicity of eye movements;
• preservation of visual acuity.

Treatment of strabismus will largely depend on the cause of the pathology. Doctors identify common methods of treating the disease:

• therapeutic;
• surgical.

How to get rid of strabismus with therapeutic methods? In this case, complex treatment is applied, including:

• optical vision correction;
• hardware impact;
• normalization of binocular vision;
• special exercises.

Optical vision correction means specially selected glasses, contact lenses, which are necessary to maintain the functionality of the squinting eye. It is imperative to perform special exercises to relax the eye muscles and fix the eyeballs in the required position.

It is impossible without hardware improvement of the visual functions of the eye. For this purpose, a laser beam, electricity, etc. is used. The use of hardware exposure restores the functionality of the diseased eye, restores normal image perception.

Orthopedic treatment serves to normalize binocular vision. For this purpose, healthy eye glues are used. The brain begins to work with the diseased eye, slowly restoring its functions.

Surgical treatment of strabismus

How can strabismus be treated surgically in adults? Indications for surgery for patients with strabismus are:

• retinal disinsertion;
• thorn;
• cataract;
• the futility of conservative treatment;
• aesthetic goals, etc.

Surgical intervention is carried out in several stages, under local or general anesthesia. Can strabismus be cured on the operating table? Operations are based on the regulation of the functions of the oculomotor muscles by strengthening or weakening them.

To enhance the action of the muscle, it is shortened (resected), and to weaken it - a recession (transplant). There are other surgical techniques. Rehabilitation is carried out under the strict supervision of a specialist and lasts about 2 weeks. There is an insignificant risk of postoperative complications.

Treatment of strabismus by surgery is carried out most often with the aim of correcting a cosmetic defect. But to restore binocular and depth vision, eliminate amblyopia, long-term postoperative therapy is required. It involves exercises for training the muscles of the eyes, specially selected glasses, passing a course of apparatus exposure, etc.

In cases where the cause of strabismus is another eye disease (cataract, thorn), surgery is performed to eliminate it. Glasses or lenses are required to correct various accommodation disorders.

Symmetrical eye position, restoration of binocular vision are considered criteria for a positive outcome of the operation performed to eliminate strabismus.

How to remove paralytic strabismus? In this case, surgical intervention will not be able to restore the functionality of the eyes, but is aimed only at eliminating the cosmetic defect.

Prophylaxis

Any disease is easier to prevent than to cure. Strabismus prevention involves a few simple rules. These include:

• regular medical examinations by an ophthalmologist;
• exclusion of infectious diseases by increasing immunity and timely treatment;
• compliance with the regime of alternating moderate eye load with a period of rest;
• inadmissibility of reading while driving, driving;
• creating a gentle mode of work in front of the computer;
• performing special exercises for the eyes;
• protection of the body from various brain injuries;
• control over blood pressure, when it rises, taking the necessary medicines;
• eradication of bad habits that negatively affect the functioning of the organ of vision;
• wearing protective glasses to save eyes from sunburn;
• taking special medications for the eyes for preventive purposes in case of serious chronic diseases (diabetes mellitus) that can adversely affect vision;
• balanced nutrition, enriched with vitamins A, C, E;
• protection of the fetus during pregnancy from various adverse effects.

An easy way to avoid strabismus is to take care of your health, be in harmony with yourself, and have a positive attitude towards the world around you.

Conclusion on the topic

Thus, strabismus is a serious eye disease that requires professional correction by an ophthalmologist. Only a qualified specialist will tell you how to correct squint and maintain good eye health for years to come.

Video

For many people, the question of how to correct strabismus is relevant. This ailment causes vision problems, and can also cause some discomfort associated with external manifestations. Fortunately, if treatment is started in a timely manner, there is a high likelihood of achieving positive results.

What is strabismus?

Strabismus is a dissonant misalignment of the eyes. In this case, their normal location relative to the central axis is observed. This problem can occur in one or both eyes. If you do not start treatment on time, there is a risk of permanently losing visual acuity and the ability to focus.

According to statistics, in every fortieth child, strabismus is expressed to one degree or another. The first manifestations can be seen during the period when the basic reflexes and functions of the body begin to form. Fortunately, strabismus has specific external manifestations that are easy to notice, which makes it possible to start treatment in a timely manner.

Strabismus forms

The answer to the question of how to correct strabismus largely depends on the form in which the disease manifests itself. There are three options:

1. Friendly - the eyes are squinted alternately.
2. Split - the eyes squint at the same time, no matter how strong the offset is.
3. Alternately synchronous - the eyes are squinted at the same time, but to the extent that they are displaced.

Causes of strabismus

Before figuring out how to correct strabismus, you should find out about the causes of this disease. In most cases, it is associated with a genetic predisposition or intrauterine developmental problems. It is impossible to identify this problem until it begins to receive specific external manifestations (by the age of 7-10).

In rare cases, strabismus is acquired. This problem can be caused by the following reasons:

• different visual acuity leads to the fact that one eye has a large load when focusing;
• various acquired diseases that lead to strabismus;
• diseases of the central nervous system, which, in one way or another, affected the visual department;
• diseases of the ENT organs.

Possible consequences

In order to understand the importance of the question of how to correct strabismus, it is worthwhile to understand the possible consequences. Many people prefer not to act, considering this defect to be cosmetic. However, this is a serious illness that can lead to irreparable consequences.

The main danger of strabismus is that the work of the eye muscles becomes incoherent. In this case, the brain receives 2 different pictures. As a result, double vision may occur. But in most cases, the brain begins to suppress the signal coming from the diseased eye. As a result, there is a strong up to its complete loss.

Exercises for children

Parents are increasingly wondering how to fix a simple set of exercises for babies, which includes the following points:

• Similar images with minor differences should be applied on two sheets of paper (it is desirable that the plots are fabulous in order to interest the child). Sit the child upright and place the pictures at the level of the child's eyes. Without moving his head, but only rolling his eyes, he must examine them, discovering the differences.
• In a board, a piece of plastic or a sheet of thick cardboard, you need to make several holes at the same level. Keeping the inventory at some distance, give the child a string, which he must pass in turn into each of the holes.
• A sheet of paper must be drawn into equal squares. Use a felt-tip pen to draw schematic drawings (rhombuses, triangles, etc.), filling in the entire free field with them. The child's task will be to find duplicate elements.

Exercises for adults

In search of an answer to the question of how to correct strabismus in adults, it is almost always a question of surgical intervention. However, do not underestimate the effects of gymnastics. So, for adults, as well as older children, the following exercises are suitable:

• Stand up straight and extend your hand forward, keeping your index finger apart. Begin to slowly move your hand up, down and to the sides. The head should remain motionless, and the eyes should closely follow the index finger.
• Sit up straight, looking in front of you. Begin to describe with your eyes the sign of infinity. The amplitude should be maximum so that strong tension is felt at the extreme points. The exercise runs smoothly. Duration - 5 minutes.
• To treat strabismus, it is helpful to play with moving objects (such as table tennis) on which you need to pay close attention. If you do not see the potential of the player in yourself, you can be present as a spectator.
• While working with documents, at computers, or while watching TV, periodically distract yourself to bring the focus of sight to nearby objects.

A little about nutrition

If you want to find the answer to the question of how to fix squint at home, you should understand that exercise alone is not enough. Like any other disease, ophthalmic problems require proper nutrition. So, for a more effective treatment of strabismus, it is worth including the following foods in the diet:

• natural dark chocolate (every day after breakfast you need to eat 2-3 slices);
• tea can sometimes be replaced with a rosehip decoction, which contains a lot of vitamins;
• a decoction of calamus root (10 grams of raw materials per glass of water), which is consumed half an hour before meals, helps to strengthen the eye muscle;
• several times a day you need to eat boiled cabbage leaves (they not only improve vision, but also contribute to the overall cleansing of the body).

Conservative treatment

It is worth distinguishing between primary strabismus, which is congenital and acts in conjunction with other diseases of the central nervous system, as well as secondary, which is directly related to the visual apparatus. Treatment will be fundamentally different. A secondary problem requires the intervention of an ophthalmologist, and therefore it is important to choose a good ophthalmology clinic. When you decide where to correct strabismus, you will be offered the following treatment program:

• wearing medical glasses that relieve eye strain and allow you to look straight;
• hardware training of the eye muscles (laser, ultrasound, magnetic or other techniques can be used);
• in the event that during the year it was not possible to achieve positive dynamics, surgical intervention may be required.

Surgical intervention

When looking for a way to correct squint, surgery is considered a last resort. Surgical intervention can be of two types:

• Laxative - the muscles in the eye move further away from the cornea, allowing the eye to assume a normal (or near-normal) position.
• Strengthening - a small fragment of the eye muscle is removed, which leads to a decrease in its length. Thus, the balance of the eyeball is restored.

Strabismus prevention

Is squint corrected? Of course, there are methods for treating congenital and acquired forms of this disease. As for the second case, prevention will help prevent it. You should avoid focusing on one subject for a long time, reading and watching TV in an uncomfortable position. But the most important thing is to regularly perform eye gymnastics, which includes the following exercises:

• rotate the pupils clockwise for a few seconds, then change the direction;
• look to the right, and then abruptly move your gaze to the left (change the position of the pupils 10 times);
• look up, then sharply down, and then up again (as in the previous case, 10 repetitions are enough);
• bring the pupils to the bridge of the nose as close as possible to feel strong tension (5 times);
• close your eyes tightly, and after a few seconds, relax (repeat 5 times);
• blink vigorously for 30-60 seconds;
• select 2 objects that will be at different distances from you, and then alternately focus on them.

Conclusion

Unfortunately, many people do not take strabismus seriously, considering it a purely cosmetic problem. However, if the disease is left untreated, there is a risk of significantly impairing or losing vision. It is quite possible to cope with strabismus. For this, conservative and surgical techniques are provided. But even if you decide to deal with the problem at home, do not forget about regular visits to a specialist.

Strabismus is considered to be a childhood pathology, but in adults it is a much more significant problem, since it can be a symptom of a dangerous disease. In addition, strabismus in adults is more difficult to treat, and mainly by surgical methods.

What ordinary people call strabismus is called strabismus in medical language. The essence of this pathological condition is the violation of friendly eye movement. Strabismus is not only a cosmetic defect, the owners of this ailment lose binocular vision, that is, they cannot correctly determine the relative position of objects in space.

It is generally accepted that strabismus is a childhood disease, and this statement is partly true. In more than 70% of patients, this problem is detected in childhood. However may suffer squint and adults, and in this category of patients it is much more difficult to treat.

Classification of strabismus

By the timing of the onset and stability of manifestations:

• Congenital and acquired
• Periodic and constant.

By the involvement of the eyes in the process:

• Monolateral, or unilateral - mows down only one eye.
• Alternating, or intermittent - alternately mows one or the other eye.

By the way, both eyes cannot mow at the same time. One of them always looks where he should. There is an imaginary strabismus, in which it seems that both eyes are squinting. At the same time, the friendliness of the movement of the eyeballs is not disturbed, and the cosmetic defect is due to innate features of the structure of the skull or eye sockets.

By severity:

• Latent - the absence of binocular vision, detected with the help of special equipment.
• Compensated - diagnosed using special ophthalmic tests.
• Subcompensated - by an effort of will it is possible to return an eye that has gone to the side.
• Decompensated - uncontrollable.

In the direction of displacement of the axis of the squinting eye:

• Converging (converging) - the eye "looks" towards the bridge of the nose.
• Diverging (diverging) - the eye is displaced towards the temple.

It is also possible to shift the squinting eye up or down.

Causes of strabismus

According to the etiology, strabismus can be classified into 2 groups.

1. Friendly - mows down then one eye then the second. This pathology arises due to the fact that the "quality" of the image that one of the eyes delivers to the brain is very different from the other. In this case, the brain, as it were, disconnects the picture from one eye, vision ceases to be stereoscopic, and the “disabled” eye begins to squint.

The main cause of friendly strabismus is accommodation disorders - myopia (myopia), farsightedness (hyperopia) and astigmatism. Moreover, with myopia, divergent strabismus most often occurs, and with hyperopia, convergent squint. This type of concomitant strabismus is called accommodative.

Also, this type of strabismus can cause any other pathologies leading to a significant difference in visual acuity between the eyes: cataracts, leukoma (corneal leucorrhoea), dystrophy or retinal detachment, macular degeneration, vitreous hemorrhage, etc. This type of friendly strabismus is called non-accommodating.

With friendly strabismus, the range of motion of the eyeballs is not disturbed, there is no double vision (diplopia).

2. Paralytic - occurs as a result of damage or paralysis of one of the oculomotor muscles.

Causes of strabismus in this case, the following may be:

• injuries or diseases of the eye muscles and orbit;
• brain pathology - strokes, craniocerebral trauma, meningitis, encephalitis, tumors;
• pathology of the oculomotor nerves - neuritis, tumors, complications of infections of the ENT organs (otitis media, sinusitis).

With paralytic strabismus, the range of motion of the affected eye is reduced, and diplopia is present.

Diagnostics

Pronounced strabismus is always noticeable to the patient himself when looking in the mirror, as well as to his environment. Do not think that it will pass by itself. A rhetorical question: " Squints one eye, what to do? "- has only one answer - immediately contact an ophthalmologist. The earlier treatment is started, the higher the chances of success.

The patient himself does not feel latent strabismus, but it can be detected with the help of special ophthalmological tests. Therefore, people at risk (with a pronounced difference in visual acuity between the eyes) should regularly undergo an in-depth examination by an ophthalmologist.

Paralytic strabismus in adults, as already mentioned, can be a symptom or complication of other diseases. Therefore, if you suddenly have double vision and severe squint, you should urgently consult a neurologist, as this may be a sign of nerve inflammation, brain tumor, stroke, or spread of infection from the middle ear into the cranial cavity.

Treatment of strabismus in adults

1. With friendly strabismus, the task of treatment is to restore normal visual acuity.

Accommodation disorders are corrected with glasses, contact lenses or laser correction. Contact lenses are preferred in this case. With severe myopia or hyperopia, the lenses of glasses reduce or increase the size of the image on the retina. Accordingly, if the optical power of the lenses is different, then the image on the retinas of the eyes is of different sizes, which misleads the brain and it is forced to use the image of only one eye, while the other begins to squint.

Non-accommodating disorders (cataracts, leucorrhoea, retinal detachment, etc.) can be treated surgically. In case of cataract, prosthetics of the lens is performed, corneal leucorrhoea is corrected by transplanting it from a donor, hemorrhages in the vitreous body can be attempted to be eliminated surgically. The situation is more complicated with pathologies of the eye vessels or retina. But even here ophthalmology has a number of technical innovations, such as laser correction. People who are predisposed to eye pathologies (hypertension, diabetes mellitus) require regular courses of drug treatment aimed at preventing visual impairment.

2. With paralytic strabismus in adults opportunities treatment extremely limited. If the cause, mainly neurological, cannot be eliminated, an operation is performed to eliminate the cosmetic defect. In this case, binocular vision is not restored.

Eye gymnastics and apparatus methods of eye training recommended by some "traditional healers" or private ophthalmological clinics can correct strabismus in children and adolescents under 14 years of age. In adults, they are ineffective.

Any person whose eyes squint, or who is familiar with such a person, knows that there are times when the eyes squint less, and often look almost completely straight. If, as is commonly stated, one muscle group was too short to be cut, and the opposite muscle group was too long to be resected, then there could never be a temporary correction of strabismus. Women with children told me: "When my child is resting, his eyes begin to look straight. When he is very tired, angry or excited, they start squinting." Not fully understanding what was happening, they identified the problem: stress!

You can teach tight, convulsively clenched eye muscles to relax. Then the eyes will strive for the correct centering, instead of moving away from it. But this is only the first step in solving your problem. The fact is that an eye that has deviated outward or inward for a long time is used to seeing with the peripheral part of the retina, instead of fixing the object in question with the macula, its center of vision. To keep such an eye constantly in the correct position, it is necessary to restore vision by the macula until it becomes stronger than the initially formed vision by the edge of the retina, or, as it is often called, the false macula.

After that, you need to learn how to combine two images transmitted to the brain by two macules, so that they merge in the brain into one clear image. If the eye has been squinting for a long time, then the nerves of its retina may be in a kind of hibernation or have ceased to react to light. However, doctors believe that if this happens with a good enough eye, then it is often possible to raise the vision of the unused eye, that is, the eye can be taught to see. By closing the stronger eye, relaxing the unused one, and stimulating the nerves of his retina with sunlight, many people have succeeded in developing the macula of the deviating eye to such an extent that he acquired the same visual acuity as his stronger partner.

Therefore, if you want to get rid of strabismus, you need to go through the following three stages of the program:

1. Relax and release the taut eye muscles so that the eyes can pivot together while being in the correct alignment.

2. Build vision in its center until it becomes stronger than vision in the false macula. This should be done even with a stronger eye, since the deviating eye can pull the other eye with it.

3. It is necessary to combine the vision of both eyes, i.e. the images obtained in two maculae must be merged together by bringing the same points of the image together at the same time. Once the eyes achieve this fusion, they will no longer be satisfied with any other vision. The fusion keeps them straight all the time.

To illustrate the development of the power of vision in the macula, I will tell you the story of little four-year-old Betty. The instructor developed the vision of her weaker eye so that she could see with it from 6 inches to 20 feet. One day the teacher walked 25 feet away from Betty and, picking up a picture book, asked her, "What does this little girl have in her arms, Betty?" She studied the drawing with straight eyes and said, "I don't see very well what is drawn there, but if I squint my eye, I can do it." "No, you don't have to squint your eyes," the teacher said. "I will gradually bring the drawing closer to you until your eye can see it." The child realized that in order to see at such a great distance, his centers of vision were not yet so strong, unlike the edges of the retina, which she had been using all her small life.

When squinting eyes merge, the feeling of nervous relief is overwhelming. As one of my students, a lawyer by trade, told me, when he first achieved the merger, it was like a new birth.

How to take the first step - to relax the tense muscles?

A large amount of sunlight falling on your closed eyelids will relax tense muscles. The eye is never pulled back to the same extent after solarization as before. The sun is a powerful stimulant for weakened or amblyopic retinal nerves. Therefore, daily give as often as possible to the eyes of the sun. Little by little, but often the sun - this is the rule (see the chapter on solarization). After solarization, the taut muscles relax and the eyes are ready for turning. Do all the turns described in the second chapter of the book regularly. Add the following exercise to them.

Turns, standing with your back to the sun

You know whether your eye is being pulled inward or outward. If, for example, the left eye is squinting inward, then stand with your back to the sun, cover the straight looking eye with the palm of your hand and turn your head and elbow in a circle towards the left ear and left shoulder, that is, to the left, so that the squinting eye can see a glimpse sunlight. Do these turns 10-12 times rhythmically as often as you do eye solarization. If the left eye squints outward, wanting to catch a glimpse of the sun, it is necessary to turn in the opposite direction, i.e. towards the bridge of the nose (to the right). Remember that this is not a physical exercise, as you should not tense your muscles or deliberately pull them. Rather, it is a gentle, relaxing exercise that is linked to a strong desire for the eyes to see the sun at the end of your every turn. Do them softly and rhythmically, not abruptly. The squinting eye will look a little further each time. If there is no sun, then turn your back to the mirror and catch glimpses of your reflection in the mirror. You can use some kind of bright light source, pretending that it is the sun.

Airplane turns

If, for example, your left eye is squinting inward, cover your right eye with a bandage. Stand with your right foot forward. Lean forward and place your left hand on the toe of your right foot, and then point this hand at an imaginary plane high in the sky on your left. The left hand will rotate 180 degrees upward. At the same time, your thoughts should be: "Down to the toe and up to the plane." By saying this out loud, you can be sure that you are breathing deeply. In one approach, it is enough to make from 6 to 12 turns.

If your left eye is squinting outward, you should point your right hand down to the toe of your left foot and up to the right toward the plane. In other words, control the squinting eye by pointing your hand in the direction you want to turn it and using whichever hand is most comfortable for pointing. If your right eye needs to turn, then push your left leg forward for balance. Knowing the direction in which you want to turn the squinting eye, adjust the turns in such a way as to center it in the desired direction. Bending forward is an additional aid in this process, as it stimulates blood circulation in the eyes. This is enough to relax the muscles. Now we will stimulate the macula, or the center of vision.

Let us return again to the consideration of the second stage of the formation of vision in the weak eye. Wear a blindfold on your stronger eye when walking around your home, first for short periods of time while your vision is developing, and then for longer periods. Do not wear it until you stop feeling nervous about it. When removing the dressing, always do palming and solarization if possible.

Do all of the vision-restoring exercises described in Chapter 3, using only your weak eye and making sure it looks at the angle you want to teach it to use. If, for example, your left eye is squinting inward, then turn your left shoulder at right angles to the table with the words. If he squints outward, then turn your right shoulder to the table, so that the left eye tries to look in the opposite direction through the bridge of the nose to see the words on the table. At first, sit pretty close to the table and glide back and forth several times under each word or phrase.

And now an exercise that uses reciprocating movements to stimulate the macula, the center of vision. Make yourself the R N E chart described on page 199. For this exercise, hang the chart in good light, 3-6 feet away from you, depending on the vision of your weaker eye. Cover the stronger eye with a patch. Pick up a blank, unwritten card. You know that the top three letters are R N E. Print them with your eyes on the white card in your hand, using your nose as a guide. Then, taking a deep breath, look at the table in the distance and in the same way "write" them in block letters several times on it. When the letters become clearer, swing this line from side to side, moving your gaze from one white field of the table to another and letting the letters go out of your sight so that you will see first white on one side of the table, and then white on the other side. ... As you practice, you will get the feeling that they are really moving from side to side. Palming and tanning after each line. Only work on the line that is easy for you, but do not work on it for too long. A little, but often - this is your principle.

Another way to develop macular nerves is to learn to read a microscopic font. Take a look at the table entitled "Vision Essentials" at the back of this book. Do all of the preparatory work described in the farsighted eye chapter and read the chart downward with a weak eye as much as you can effortlessly while performing short, slow head turns. If in each lesson you strive to achieve the relaxation you need, then every day you will read further and further down. When you can see a few words of microscopic type, it means that you have really become adept at this business. Gradually, you will be able to read all the words in the microscopic font. When you can read this microscopic font with a weak eye, then you can assume that you are ready to unite the two centers of vision together.

Let's go back to the third step. In order to bring the two centers of vision together without the help of a teacher, you need some kind of device. Take out two sticks (dowels) one foot long. Step 1 inch from the top of the sticks and drill a hole through them. Pass a 3-foot laundry line through these holes. Make a knot at one end of the rope. Attach a weight to the other end. A tin soldier from a set sold in a store may do. Now hold the stick on the side of the knot vertically, 3 inches from your nose, and the other stick 8 inches in front of the first. The Tin Soldier will hang loosely at the far end of the rope. It will keep the rope taut. Slowly move the far stick back and forth (either toward or away from the nose), watching as the hole you drilled in the moving stick absorbs the rope as you move the stick toward you. Blink quickly during this process and remember to breathe. Start pulling the rope when the sticks are close enough to each other. Close your eyes and remember what you saw as you continue to move your wand back and forth. Then, with a deep breath, open your eyes and continue your observation again.

Repeat this exercise many times during your workout, palming before and after. If the maculae of each of your eyes are sufficiently stimulated, then one day the stick closest to you will split in two. The top will appear to be split, perhaps only half an inch at first, but as the fusion improves, the size of the split will increase until it reaches 2-3 inches. We called these two images "gates". Since I discovered the possibility of using them to improve vision, the results have increased twice as fast.

Until a person with a squint one day achieves the vision of the "gate", which is the essence of training, and achieves stability in achieving them, until then the fusion will not be permanent. Palming between each gate attempt. When you can achieve and hold them, move on to the workout, walking around the room and looking at objects between the nearest gates. What you see between them will be a single image.

Of course, having an experienced teacher on hand makes it easier to learn the art of fusion, but you can accomplish a lot on your own.