If you look at your phone or computer for a long time, you may develop strabismus?

Recently, our hospital has received more and more young patients who complained of seeing double vision and involuntary eye deviation. Some patients also found that they suddenly became "cross-eyed". In this case, everyone should be alert, because they may have "acute common esotropia"!

Cai Chunyan, deputy chief physician, master's tutor, and deputy director of strabismus and pediatric ophthalmology at Wuhan University Aier Eye Hospital (Wuhan Aier Eye Hospital General Hospital) , said that in recent years, with the popularization of electronic products and the increase in close-range eye use, the incidence of acute concomitant esotropia has been on the rise, and it is becoming younger and younger, with an increase in the incidence of middle-aged and young people and even adolescent children, especially myopic people. Long-term close-range eye use is the main cause of acute concomitant esotropia.

What is acute concomitant esotropia?

Acute concomitant esotropia is an acute onset of concomitant esotropia, characterized by sudden onset, with patients first experiencing diplopia, or ghosting, followed by esotropia, or both. Most cases occur in older children and adults, especially those who spend a long time looking at mobile phones, tablets, or using computers. In the past, this disease was relatively rare in clinical practice, but with the popularization of electronic products in recent years, especially the use of smartphones, the incidence has increased significantly.

Why does looking at computers and mobile phones for a long time cause strabismus?

Myopia and long-term close-up use of the eyes induce excessive accommodative convergence, which leads to an imbalance in the convergence and separation of the eyes, and the eyes cannot relax, thus forming acute concomitant esotropia. At present, most cases of acute concomitant esotropia are caused by this reason. Especially for those who spend a lot of time at home watching TV series, surfing the Internet, and playing games during the summer vacation, it is necessary to relax in moderation and combine work and rest.

Director Cai Chunyan reminds people who often work overtime, stay up late, and use their eyes intensively that they can look into the distance or close their eyes to rest for a while after using their eyes for 20 to 30 minutes. If they find that both eyes cannot focus on the same object at the same time, they should go to a professional ophthalmology hospital for treatment as soon as possible.