What is an Exotropia?

An exotropia also called a divergent squint, is when an eye turns outwards. It means that the eyeball is deviated towards the ear. In exotropia (divergent squint), the person’s eyes can be squinted all the time (constant squint) or, as appears occasionally while being straight the rest of the time (intermittent exotropia).

What are the symptoms of exotropia?

The obvious symptom noticed is the deviation of the eyeball in the form of one or both eyes turning
outwards. Other symptoms of exotropia are double vision, blurring of vision, headache, eye strain,
frequent blinking of eyes, and sensitivity to bright light.

What is the cause of exotropia in an individual?

The cause of exotropia may vary based on the age at which the squint began.

Divergent squint may be seen after an episode of illness like high-grade fever,
viral illness, loose motions, or seizures. Occasionally it may be a part of a generalized muscle problem like myasthenia gravis or some muscle dystrophy or related to some areas of the brain being weaker. Occasionally the exact reason for the onset of exotropia may not be clear, and it is called idiopathic.’;

What are the tests for exotropia?

The squint eye specialist will take a detailed history of the symptoms, family history, and any other health condition. The person is then tested for vision and undertakes special tests for squint which include tests on eye strain, eye alignment test, and depth perception test.

What are the treatments provided for exotropia?

After a detailed evaluation, the squint eye specialist will advise certain treatments depending on the child’s age & results of the eye alignment tests. A squint eye specialist treats exotropia by using:

· Eyeglasses: Glasses to correct any refractive error result in improved vision. This helps in improving eye alignment.
· Patching: Placing a patch over the stronger eye strengthens the weaker eye. This is another established therapy for treating squint and training the brain.
· Over-minus glasses: In some cases, extra minus power is added to the glasses. This is done when the divergent squint is very less when the patient focuses at near objects but increases when
looking at far away objects. It can be treated by giving over-minus glasses (adding extra minus power to the
glass) or by special prism glasses.

· Prism glasses: These are squint-correcting glasses. Base in prism glasses is advised by the squint eye specialist to correct divergent squint.
· Vision therapy: New computer-based exercises or certain eye exercises, which include exercises and activities to improve eye alignment can also be used for suitable candidates.
· Squint surgery: Some cases of exotropia will need surgery to realign the eye muscles. Simply put, squint surgery involves either muscle-weakening procedures on the muscles that pull the eye outward or muscle-strengthening procedures on muscles that pull the eye inward.

Early diagnosis is the most important part of the treatment of exotropia. If you suspect that your child has exotropia, do get in touch with your nearest squint eye specialist. Dr. Prachi Agashe is a pediatric and adult squint eye specialist at Agashe Hospital. She can be reached via email at contactus@agashehospital.com or via phone at 9867539883.