CROSSED EYES AND HOW TO LIVE WITH THEM
Just as the wheels of a car must be aligned, so must your eyes. When the wheels are out of alignment, the tires become worn. Often wear and tare also takes place in other parts of the car. When your eyes aren't properly aligned, you experience eyestrain and strain in other parts of your body.
Just as the wheels of a car must be aligned, so must your eyes. When the wheels are out of alignment, the tires become worn. Often wear and tare also takes place in other parts of the car. When your eyes aren't properly aligned, you experience eyestrain and strain in other parts of your body.
Two types of eye miss-alignment exist. One is a tropia and the other is a phoria. Phoria means a tendency to miss-align an eye. Tropia means a miss-alignment. Your car cannot compensate for wheels that turn in or out. That would be like a tropia. Our eyes can compensate for a tendency to turn in or out. The eye muscles work just a little bit harder to pull the eyes into alignment. That would be a phoria.
Next we must consider the direction of the miss-alignment. Wheels on your car can toe in or out. The same is true of your eyes. If the Tropia or phoria is inward, it is called esotropia or esophoria. Eso means inward. A person who crosses his eyes is looking closer in space than the target he is looking at. If the tropia or phoria is outward, it is called exotropia or exophoria. Exo means outward. One who turns his eyes out is looking further out in space than the intended target. Thus, an eye miss alignment may have four names: exophoria, exotropia, esophoria, or esotropia.
Eye teaming difficulty usually includes body teaming difficulty (the two halves of the body do not work as a coordinated team). It is common for an exophore's foot to turn out or an esophore's foot to turn in.
The exophore is more interested in things further away in space and is an outdoors person. An exophore doesn't take things too personally. The esophore is more interested in things closer in space and is an indoors person. An esophore does take things personally.
The exophore is more interested in things further away in space and is an outdoors person. An exophore doesn't take things too personally. The esophore is more interested in things closer in space and is an indoors person. An esophore does take things personally.
Does the personality cause the vision condition or the vision condition cause the personality? More important, you can change the vision condition. Once the vision is changed, it is no longer difficult for an exotrope to view things closer in space and for the esotrope to view things further away in space. Many things thought to be personality traits are really symptoms of a vision problem and can be changed. The personality really is not changing; but what people previously thought was a personality trait, was the symptom of a vision condition.
By treating eye miss-alignment you can become more efficient and comfortable in almost all you do.
ESOPHORIA / ESOTROPIA CHARACTERISTICS
01. You prefer indoors to outdoors
01. You prefer indoors to outdoors
02. You stand or sit close to people
03. You like people close to you.
04. Wide-open spaces bother you, and heights may frighten you (farsightedness may modify this).
05. You are sensitive about things close or dear to you.
06. You dislike loose-fitting garments and prefer tight.
07. Your strength in planning is detail (varies if farsighted).
08. You like to plan things, surprises may throw you off guard.
09. Assembling the past is your strength while planning the future is difficult (varies if farsighted).
Image by monika1607 on Pixabay
Image by monika1607 on Pixabay
10. Too much change or variety bothers you.
11. You are strong-willed once making a decision and tend to make snap decisions.
12. Your interests are deep but not varied (especially so if nearsighted).
13. You hit golf balls, etc. too soft and tend to get too close to the goal or ball
14. Introspection and self analysis is common. You immediately blame yourself if something goes wrong.
15. If nearsighted you intensely feel criticism.
WHAT IS THE FIRST STEP? Diagnostic testing helps Dr. Henshaw determine if your condition can be treated and which method of treatment would be best for you. It also demonstrates your vision problem to you.
You may bring an observer, usually a spouse, whom you wish to understand your vision condition. For children we insist that at least one parent observe.
But how about those people who, for varied reasons, are not ready to change their vision condition. Following are some hints for making life easier.
HINTS
01. Momentarily focus in the distance before and during reading.
02. Seek other's aid in getting the main idea or big picture.
03. People should praise you directly but criticize indirectly.
04. Do not make snap decisions unless very familiar with the subject. Let others know you will decide later.
For you who have crossed eyes technically called esotropia, watch the following video.
Below is a video of a colleague about strabismus in general including esotropia as we are discussing here and exotropia discussed nearby.