eye pain caused by strabismus?

[Jane404040]

Every eye doctor I've seen agrees that I have intermittent strabismus, with my left eye turning in when I do near work. But they all also agree that this shouldn't cause pain, which it does. When I try to read for more than just a minute or two I get a severe pain in the outside lower left corner of my eye. The pain does not go away when I stop reading. I've tried prisms and different prescriptions and convergence insufficiency exercises and nothing stops the pain. Do you have any idea what is going on?

[C4L]

A related discussion, strabismus and medical marijuana was started.

[RyanT300]

A related discussion, Strabismus that is very painful was started.

[Jane404040]

I have been evaluated for dry eye and that isn't it. It isn't a pain like something is IN my eye. It's a deep pain, and it hurts quite badly. It doesn't hurt if you touch the surface. It's stumping everyone. I had one doctor say that maybe it is a nerve that has somehow gotten sensitized to the misalignment of my eye, and that the nerve fires when the eye isn't quite lined up. He referred me to a neuro-opthalmologist who said it couldn't be that.

Nevertheless, here is my other question: what are you supposed to DO if you have difficulty reading and it can't (or isn't yet) fixed? Doctors are remarkably blase about it, but I can't work. I have 20/20 vision, but I can't read.

[Michael J Kutryb, MD]

Probably not directly related to the strabismus.  It could be something like an eyelash that is poking the eye or a dry spot on the  cornea or conjuctiva.  I suggest using frequent artificial tears when reading and have a dry eye evaluation and have lids looked at for lid margin disease.

MJK MD