Seeing Straight: A Complete Guide to Understanding and Treating Squint

What is Squint?

Strabismus, also known as squint, is a condition where both your eyes do not look together in the same direction. So, if one of your eyes looks straight ahead, the other turns to point inwards, outwards, upwards or downwards. The turning of the eye may remain constant or it may come and go. Most squints are seen in young children. Sometimes squints can develop in older kids or even in adults.

Symptoms of Squint

Here are some of the symptoms of squint/Strabismus:

• One of the main strabismus symptoms is an eye that is not straight.
• When this misalignment is large and obvious, your brain makes practically no efforts to straighten the eye, and it does not cause too many symptoms.
• When the misalignment is less or if it is not constant, headaches and eyestrain are experienced.
• There may also be fatigue when reading, jittery or unstable vision and an inability to read comfortably.
• Sometimes, your child may squint one eye when out in bright sunlight or tilt his head to use both his eyes together.
• It can also lead to loss of vision in the misaligned eye, a condition called as amblyopia.
• Newborn babies often have an intermittent squint, but this reduces by 2 months of age and disappears by four months of age as the baby’s vision development occurs. However, most children never outgrow true strabismus.

If you experience any of the above symptoms, it's crucial to contact Vision Eye Centre - Best eye hospital for Squint Surgery

Causes of Squint

What are the reasons for squint eye? Let’s find out:

Six muscles around your eye are responsible for coordinating the movements of your eye. These are called extraocular muscles in order that both your eyes to be lined up and focused on a single target, all the muscles in both the eyes have to work together. In a person with normal vision, both eyes aim at the same object. This helps the brain to combine the two pictures received from the two eyes into a single 3-D image. It is this 3-dimensional image that gives us a perception of depth.

When one eye goes out of alignment in strabismus, two different pictures are sent to your brain. In a child with crossed eyes, the brain ‘learns’ to ignore the image from the non-aligned eye. Because of this, the child loses perception of depth. In adults who develop a squint, their brain has already learnt to receive two images and cannot ignore the image from the misaligned eye. Because of this, the adult develops double vision.

Strabismus develops when there is a problem that interferes with the controlling and functioning of the extraocular muscles. This problem may have to do with the muscles themselves or the nerves or regions of the brain that control the extraocular muscles.

Disorders that affect the brain may cause a squint, e.g. Cerebral Palsy (a disorder in which there is impaired muscle coordination), Down’s Syndrome (a genetic condition affecting physical and mental development), Brain tumors, Hydrocephalus (Collection of fluid in the brain), etc.

A cataract, diabetes, eye injury or tumor in the eye can also lead to vision problems while being one of the primary squint eye causes.

Damage to the retina in premature babies or a hemangioma (abnormal build-up of blood vessels) near the eye during infancy may also be a cause.

Your genes may also play a role in your developing a squint.

Sometimes, when a child with uncorrected farsightedness tries to focus, they can develop something called accommodative esotropia. This happens because of the excessive focusing effort.

What are the Available Tests for Squint?

Apart from the standard ophthalmic examination, there are multiple tests for squint eye like:

• A retinal examination is one of the most common tests for squint.
• Visual Acuity testing
• corneal light reflex
• Cover/ Uncover Test
• Brain and Nervous System testing

Treatment Options for Squint

Treatment varies depending on the severity, age of the patient, and underlying cause. Common treatments include:

1. Glasses and Contact Lenses

For children with refractive errors, glasses can correct the misalignment by improving the eye’s ability to focus. In some cases, prism lenses may be prescribed for adults to reduce double vision.

2. Eye Exercises

Orthoptic exercises are often recommended to strengthen eye muscles and improve alignment, particularly in children.

3. Patching Therapy

When a child develops a lazy eye along with squint, patching the stronger eye can help improve vision in the weaker one.

4. Surgery

If non-surgical treatments are ineffective, corrective surgery may be recommended to realign the eyes. This is usually a quick and effective procedure for both children and adults.

5. Botox Injections

In some cases, Botox can temporarily paralyze overactive eye muscles, allowing the eyes to align better. This treatment is more common in adults.

At Vision Eye Centre, our goal is to provide comprehensive SQUINT treatment in Delhi that prioritizes patient care and long-term vision preservation. Don’t hesitate to schedule your consultation today for expert evaluation.