Straighten the eyes & binocular vision
After a complete eye examination, We can recommend appropriate opticall, medical or surgical therapy
A squint is misalignment of the eyes where one eye is out of alignment, i.e.one eye looks straight ahead whilst the other points in, outwards, up or down. If the eye that normally turns is forced to look straight ahead (e.g. by covering the straight eye), then the other eye will turn. Squints may be constant (obvious all the time) or intermittent (only seen from time to time). Most squints develop before 3 years of age, but sometimes they develop later. Squints can affect the eyesight in childhood, as the brain will begin to ignore a squinting eye causing the sight in it to be worse that in the other eye. Squint may be permanent or it may be temporary, occurring occasionally. The deviation may be in any direction: inward, outward, upward or downward.
Causes of Squint :
- Weakened muscles or abnormal nerve impulses to the eye muscles.
- Heredity.
- Blurred or poor vision.
- Pathology inside the eye, such as cataract
Treatment
Parents often get the false impression that a child may "outgrow" the problem. If a child's two eyes are pointed in different directions, examination by an ophthalmologist is necessary to determine the cause and to begin treatment. The goals of treatment are to preserve vision, straighten the eyes and to restore binocular vision. Treatment of squint depends upon the exact cause of the misaligned eyes. It can be directed towards unbalanced muscles or other conditions which are causing the eyes to point in two different directions. After a complete eye examination, including a detailed study of the inner parts of the eye, an ophthalmologist can recommend appropriate optical, medical or surgical therapy.
Non-surgical treatment
Some squints are caused by refractive errors. In such cases, squint can be corrected by prescribing proper spectacles.
Surgical treatment
Most patients require surgical correction. Surgery is done under general anaesthesia in children and under local anaesthesia in cooperating adults. To undergo general anaesthesia the child should be free from acute illness. Parents should inform the doctor if the child is having any systemic problems such as cardiac disease or epilepsy.