Squint is a misalignment of the two eyes. In this condition, both eyes do not look in the same direction at the same time. Squints are common and affect around one in 20 children. They usually develop before five years of age but can appear later too.
When a squint is present, the eyes point in different directions and the brain is no longer able to process the separate images and produce a three-dimensional perception. While one eye looks forward to focus on an object, the other eye turns inward, outward, upward or downward.
Most squints occur in young children. Sometimes when a child has a squint, the vision in the eye that squints may be weaker than the vision in the eye without the squint.
How it affects?
To understand how a squint affects vision, it helps to know how the eyes normally work. Eyes work together as a pair. When you look at an object, both eyes point in the same direction and focus on the same point. The brain combines the slightly different images from each eye to give a 3D picture of the world.
The brain receives similar but slightly different pictures from each eye and joins them together to allow binocular vision. This slight difference allows depth perception, which helps you judge distance.
Each eye is controlled by six muscles that pull the eye in specific directions. The muscles of one eye coordinate with those of the other eye, allowing both eyes to move together. A squint can develop when these muscles do not work in a balanced way and the eyes fail to move correctly, leading to vision issues.
How is it treated?
Treatment of a child’s squint can be done in several ways, and often more than one treatment or a combination may be needed to get the best result. Treatment is usually ongoing and involves regular visits and examinations at the eye clinic for a number of years.
The aim is to give good vision in each eye and correct eye alignment. The child may need to see an orthoptist and an ophthalmologist. Eye tests help determine if the child needs glasses.
Common treatment options include:
- Glasses
- Occlusion therapy (patching)
- Eye exercises
- Injections
- Surgery
Visit a paediatric eye specialist to determine what is suitable in your case and get treatment accordingly.
The views expressed here are solely those of the author in his private capacity and do not in any way represent the views of Centre for Sight.
