Esophoria

Esophoria is a type of heterophoria characterized by an inward deviation of the eyes. It is a condition where the eyes tend to turn inward when the person is not focusing on an object. This condition is often detected during an eye examination and can be associated with symptoms such as eye strain, headaches, and difficulty with near tasks.

Symptoms

Individuals with esophoria may experience a variety of symptoms, including:

• Eye strain
• Headache
• Difficulty focusing on near objects
• Blurred vision
• Double vision (diplopia)

Causes

Esophoria can be caused by several factors, including:

• Refractive errors such as hyperopia
• Poor eye muscle control
• Convergence insufficiency
• Stress and fatigue

Diagnosis

Esophoria is typically diagnosed through a comprehensive eye examination. Tests that may be used to diagnose esophoria include:

• Cover test
• Maddox rod test
• Prism and alternate cover test

Treatment

Treatment for esophoria may involve:

• Prescription glasses or contact lenses to correct refractive errors
• Vision therapy to improve eye muscle control
• Prism glasses to help align the eyes
• Surgery in severe cases

Related Conditions

Esophoria is related to other types of heterophoria, including:

• Exophoria - an outward deviation of the eyes
• Hyperphoria - a vertical deviation of the eyes
• Hypophoria - a downward deviation of the eyes

See Also

• Heterophoria
• Strabismus
• Convergence insufficiency
• Diplopia
• Vision therapy