How Do You Spell HETEROPHORIA?

Pronunciation: [hˌɛtɹə͡ʊfˈɔːɹi͡ə] (IPA)

Heterophoria is a term used in optometry to describe a condition where the eyes are not perfectly aligned when looking at an object. The spelling of this word can be broken down using IPA phonetic transcription as follows: /hɛtərəˈfɔriə/. The first syllable, "het", is pronounced with a short "e" sound, followed by the second syllable, "er", which has an unstressed "uh" sound. The third and fourth syllables, "phor" and "ia", are pronounced with a long "o" sound and an "ee-uh" sound, respectively.

HETEROPHORIA Meaning and Definition

1. Heterophoria refers to a condition in which a person's eyes have a tendency to deviate from a normal alignment while at rest. It is typically a very subtle misalignment and is not usually noticeable to others. This condition can occur when the muscles that control eye movement are imbalanced, resulting in the eyes pointing in slightly different directions.

   There are different types of heterophoria depending on the direction in which the eyes deviate. These include esophoria, in which the eyes tend to turn inward, and exophoria, where the eyes tend to turn outward. Other types include hyperphoria, in which one eye tends to be higher than the other, and hypophoria, where one eye appears lower than the other. Heterophoria can affect both eyes or just one eye.

   While heterophoria itself may not cause vision problems or discomfort, it can lead to eye strain and fatigue, especially during prolonged periods of visually demanding activities like reading or using a computer. Treatment for heterophoria typically involves the use of prism lenses in glasses or contact lenses to help correct the misalignment and alleviate symptoms. In some cases, vision therapy exercises may also be recommended to help improve eye muscle coordination.

   Heterophoria is a condition that is commonly seen by optometrists and ophthalmologists, and a comprehensive eye examination is necessary to diagnose and determine the severity of the condition. Understanding and managing heterophoria can help individuals maintain comfortable and clear vision, particularly during visually demanding tasks.

2. A tendency of one eye to deviate in one or another direction in consequence of imperfect balance of the ocular muscles; dynamic, latent, or suppressed squint.

   A practical medical dictionary. By Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Published 1920.

Common Misspellings for HETEROPHORIA

• heterophoia
• geterophoria
• beterophoria
• neterophoria
• jeterophoria
• ueterophoria
• yeterophoria
• hwterophoria
• hsterophoria
• hdterophoria
• hrterophoria
• h4terophoria
• h3terophoria
• hererophoria
• heferophoria
• hegerophoria
• heyerophoria
• he6erophoria
• he5erophoria
• hetwrophoria

Etymology of HETEROPHORIA

The word "heterophoria" is derived from the Greek roots "hetero", meaning "different", and "phoria", meaning "bearing" or "tendency". The term is commonly used in ophthalmology to describe a visual condition where the two eyes have a tendency to deviate from their normal alignment when a person is not actively focusing on an object.

Plural form of HETEROPHORIA is HETEROPHORIAS