Doctor, Doctor...
By Dave Hall
For all you hypochondriacs out there, Dave Hall continues his regular look at a some of the more unusual medical conditions, as well as some you thought you knew all about.
This week: ESOTROPIA.
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Condition – Esotropia is a form of squint, in which one or both eyes turn inward, giving the affected individual a cross-eyed appearance. It can lead to a loss of binocular vision, meaning patients can’t focus properly on things. Apparently, only 23% of infants are born with straight eyes – although in most cases within the first three months the eyes gradually come into alignment as the baby develops.
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Contagion – Not a contagious condition, but one that occurs during birth and can stay with you. Up to 5% of all children have some form of squint. They can also be caused by injury and nerve damage.
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| Danger of death – None whatsoever, you’re quite safe there. But your eyes can end up ‘going’ in any direction –inward (esotropia or ‘crossed eyes’), outward (exotropia or ‘wall eyes’), upward (hypertropia) or downward (hypotropia). Take your pick. | |
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Incurability? – It is treatable, and options include the use of glasses to correct the lens problems, a strong bout of eye exercises and/or eye muscle surgery.
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Likelihood of getting time off work – You may get a few days off to go and find some corrective glasses, and you’ll fine everyone will probably feel more at ease looking at you when you return.
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| Brag-ability – Nothing to write home about, you’d be better off concentrating on looking at what you’re doing. |
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Overall ridiculousness – A very common disorder with a fairly low score - but one that shouldn’t be too difficult to care for and shouldn’t leave you feeling you’ve lost direction. Did you know the average (human) eyeball is 24mm in diameter? |
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More conditions to come soon:
Bulldog Syndrome, Lassa Fever and more.
Find more curious conditions in Doctor Doctor. If you can't wait for the next Doctor Doctor, then why not find a Phunny Phobia to keep you going?
Photo: DW1979/Wiki
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