Eye Crossing Due to Fatigue
JAN 17, 2024
Question:
I am 56 years old. Can crossing of the eyes be due to extreme fatigue? I'm having trouble keeping my eyes straight and focused.
Answer:
The eye muscles must diverge the eyes (turn both outward) when looking into the distance and converge them (turn inward) when looking at near. There are many reasons that the eyes may not do this well.
A childhood strabismus that was not noticed in childhood can become manifest as someone ages. If you do not have adequate optical correction you may be straining your ability to accommodate (focus), which can cause these symptoms. Also, aging can cause both insufficiency of convergence or divergence and these symptoms can be aggravated by fatigue. Lastly, various neurological (brain) problems can cause problems with keeping the eyes straight. A complete evaluation by an ophthalmologist is warranted if your symptoms are disturbing and especially if you are having double vision.
This question was originally answered on April 13, 2011.