WHAT IS SQUINT?

• “Crossed eyes” or “Looking London Talking Tokyo”
• Squint is an imbalance of the two eyes, where the two eyes are seeing in different directions.
• This misalignment may be constant, being present throughout the day or it may appear sometimes and the rest of the time the eyes may be straight.
• One eye sees straight ahead while the other eye turns inwards (towards the nose) or outwards (towards the ear), upwards or downwards.
• It is a common condition among children.

ESOTROPIA – Eye turned Inwards	EXOTROPIA – Eye turned Outwards
HYPERTROPIA – Eye turned Upwards	HYPOTROPIA – Eye turned Downwards

AT WHAT AGE A SQUINT CAN OCCUR?

• It may be present at birth
• Very common in childhood
• May develop at the age of 60 following paralysis, accident or illness

WHAT ARE THE CAUSES OF A SQUINT?

• The exact cause of squint is not really known.
• A loss of coordination between the muscles of the two eyes leads to misalignment Sometimes a refractive error may lead to inward or outward deviation of the eye.
• Poor vision in an eye because of some other eye disease like cataract, etc. may also cause the eye to deviate.
• It is important in all the cases of squint, especially in children, to have a thorough eye checkup to rule out any other cause of loss of vision.

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF A SQUINT?

• In a child, the parents may notice the deviation of eyes.
• Poor eyesight in one eye i.e. squinting eye.
• Most establish alignment at 3-4 weeks of age.
• Therefore squint in any child who is more than one month old must be taken seriously and should be evaluated by an ophthalmologist.
• Adults may notice double vision, or misalignment of the eyes.

HOW IS A SQUINT DIAGNOSED?

• The squint is diagnosed by the ophthalmologist.
• He or she would do a few special tests to confirm the squint, to try and find out the cause and to quantify the amount of deviation.
• Early examination is MOST necessary to give proper treatment.
• Early examination and proper treatment can SAVE eyesight and functions of the eye.

GOALS OF TREATMENT

The aims of treatment of squint in order of importance are:

• Preserve or restore vision
• Straighten the eyes
• Restore binocular vision

WHAT IS THE TREATMENT FOR SQUINT?

• The parents are explained about the importance of this treatment, as their cooperation is very crucial for the success of this treatment.
• Eye drops and exercises can also be effective in some cases.

PATCHING

When squint results in amblyopia, it must be treated to prevent loss of vision. The most common and effective treatment for amblyopia is patching.

GLASSES

Glasses are often prescribed to help straighten a child’s eyes. Giving the sharpest possible vision will make the treatment of squint easier.

EXERCISES

Eye exercises (orthoptics) may be useful in certain case of squint. They are intended to help the eyes move together and to encourage fusion. Therefore, they are especially helpful after surgery or in treating a child whose eyes are almost straight.

SURGERY

Child with Squint	Same Child with After Surgery

Squint surgery is often used along with glasses and patching to correct eye muscle coordination. It is a safe and simple operation. By adjusting the tension of the outer muscles in one or both eyes, the eyes can be straightened.

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