What is a Decompensating phoria?

What is a Decompensating phoria?

Any latent binocular misalignment that becomes symptomatic is considered to be a phoria that has “decompensated.” Symptoms of decompensated esophoria may range from simple headache to severe asthenopia and diplopia.

How do you explain phoria to a patient?

A phoria is a misalignment of the eyes that only appears when binocular viewing is broken and the two eyes are no longer looking at the same object. The misalignment of the eyes starts to appear when a person is tired, therefore it is not present all of the time.

How do you manage Heterophoria?

Management of Heterophoria: Basic Principles

  1. Remove the cause of decompensation.
  2. Refractive correction or modification.
  3. Give eye exercises.
  4. Prescribe prism relief.
  5. Refer to another practitioner.

How do you test for decompensated phoria?

The classic presentation for a decompensated phoria/tropia is diplopia. If the tropia is constant the diplopia is constant, and the degree may change from distance to near, but should not change with different directions of gaze.

What is associated phoria?

Associated phoria is a deviation of the eyes that appears under prism correction of fixation disparity: associated phoria equals the “aligning prism” [1] that nullifies fixation disparity.

How do you detect phoria?

To test for phoria, doctors will do the cross-over test, which is when one eye is covered and then the other eye is quickly covered after. The covering of the eyes back and forth will break the eyes’ synchronization for binocular vision and you can then tease out the phoria.

How do you detect Heterophoria?

The cross-cover test, or alternating cover test is usually employed to detect heterophoria. One eye is covered, and then the cover is moved immediately over to the other eye. With heterophoria, when the cover is moved to the other eye, the eye that has just been uncovered can be seen to move from a deviated point.

How do you assess Heterophoria?

One eye of the patient is covered while fixating with other eye at a distant target. The eye is then uncovered and any movement of the eye to take up fixation is noted. The test is repeated with other eye. The direction of deviation, the degree of deviation and speed of recovery is noted.

What are convergence skills?

Convergence is the ability to turn the two eyes inward toward each other to look at a close object. We depend on this visual skill for near-work activities such as desk work at school, working on a smartphone type device, or even in sports when catching a ball.

What does Heterophoria mean?

Medical Definition of heterophoria : latent strabismus in which one eye tends to deviate either medially or laterally — compare exophoria.

Which is the correct presentation for decompensated Phoria / tropia?

The classic presentation for a decompensated phoria/tropia is diplopia. If the tropia is constant the diplopia is constant, and the degree may change from distance to near, but should not change with different directions of gaze.

What are the symptoms of decompensation at distance?

Decompensation at distance is likely to result in strain or intermittent diplopia while driving or watching television, especially at night due to a combination of fatigue and reduced ambient lighting. Typically the symptoms are relieved by avoidance of the problematic task (if possible) and rest or sleep.

When do you need help with Prism decompensation?

As decompensation increases, the symptoms occur more frequently and earlier in the day, and may even persist upon waking the next day. A greater frequency or severity of symptoms increases the likelihood of needing to provide help and the amount of help needed, but a specific remedy (eg relieving prism) cannot be prescribed based on symptoms alone.

How is Phoria kept under control by the fusion reflex?

a “phoria” is a misalignment of the eye that is kept under control by the fusion reflex. If the eye wants to cross its called esophoria and if it wants to turn out its exophoria. If the eye is always misaligned and fusion can’t control its called esotrophia and exotrophia.