Stephen Nedoroscik, the Olympic ‘Pommel Horse Guy,’ Bringing Awareness to Strabismus – What Exactly Is It?
Olympic gymnast Stephen Nedoroscik did not let strabismus, an eye disorder commonly called crossed eyes, stop him from training, qualifying, and competing in his chosen event – in fact, performing so well on Pommel Horse that he earned a bronze medal for the 2024 U.S. men’s gymnastics team, their first in 16 years! But what exactly is strabismus, and how does it affect an individual’s vision?
What is strabismus?
According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, adult strabismus is when your eyes are not lined up properly and they point in different directions. One eye may look straight ahead while the other eye turns in, out, up, or down. The misalignment can shift from one eye to the other. Most adults with strabismus have had it since they were children. But sometimes it starts later in life.
What causes it?
There are six muscles that control eye movement. To line up and focus both eyes on a single target, all muscles in both eyes must be balanced and working together.
People who have strabismus usually have a problem that can affect eye muscles.
How does it affect vision?
With normal vision, both eyes aim at the same spot. The brain combines the two images from our eyes into a single, three-dimensional (3-D) image. This is how we can tell how near or far something is from us (called depth perception). When one eye is out of alignment, two different pictures are sent to the brain. That’s why adults with strabismus often have double vision, seeing two of the same image.
What are the symptoms?
Eyes that appear out of alignment is the most visible symptom. Adults with strabismus may also notice:
• Weakness in or around the eye.
• Double vision, blurry vision, trouble reading, loss of depth perception.
• Needing to tilt or turn you head to see an image clearly.
Can strabismus be treated?
Surgery to improve eye alignment is the most common treatment. An ophthalmologist can surgically loosen, tighten, or move certain eye muscles so that the eyes line up properly to work together. It is usually done on an outpatient basis, and more than one surgery may be required to restore proper vision.
Other treatments may include:
• Eye muscle exercises
• Prism eyeglasses can help some people with mild double vision see one image, not two.
• Botulinum toxin (Botox®), to paralyze the muscles that are pulling the eye out of alignment.
Plus, there’s Coloboma:
In addition to strabismus, it has been reported that Stephen has another, rarer eye condition known as a coloboma. This results when normal tissue in or around the eye is missing at birth. A coloboma can affect one or both eyes, and the symptoms depend on where it occurs. The condition can cause vision disturbances and make the eyes more sensitive to light.
When “Pommel Horse Guy” Stephen Nedoroscik is not riding his apparatus, he wears thick Clark Kent glasses in true “superman” style. We applaud Stephen for his determination not to be limited by his eye conditions or the need to wear eyeglasses. If you think you or a loved one may have strabismus, or any vision problem, call us to discuss how Atlantic Eye can help!