🧑‍⚕️ What Is a Squint?

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A squint, also called strabismus, is a condition where the eyes do not look in the same direction. One eye may turn inwards, outwards, upwards, or downwards while the other looks straight ahead.

It can happen all the time or only some of the time (intermittently).

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👶 Who Gets It?

• Babies and children (most common)

• Adults (due to injury, stroke, nerve problems, or eye conditions)

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🧠 Causes

• Poor eye muscle control

• Nerve problems

• Refractive errors (need for glasses)

• Genetic/family history

• Eye injuries or conditions

• Neurological conditions

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👁️ Symptoms

• Eyes appear misaligned

• Double vision

• Closing or covering one eye to see better

• Tilting the head to one side

• Poor depth perception

• In children: may lead to lazy eye (amblyopia)

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🧪 Diagnosis

An eye specialist (optometrist or ophthalmologist) will:

• Examine eye alignment

• Test vision in both eyes

• Check eye movement

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💊 Treatment Options for Squint

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Treatment depends on the type, cause, age of the patient, and severity.

1. Glasses 

• Correct refractive errors

• May help align the eyes, especially in accommodative squint

2. Eye Exercises (Orthoptics)

• Improve coordination and focus in mild cases

• Often used with other treatments

3. Patching (Occlusion Therapy)

• Used for amblyopia (lazy eye)

• Involves covering the stronger eye to strengthen the weaker one

4. Prism Glasses

• Help reduce double vision

• Can help realign vision in small-angle squints

5. Surgery

• To correct the position of eye muscles

• Common and often successful

• May be done in children or adults

• Multiple surgeries may be needed in some cases

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👨‍👩‍👧 Support for Parents

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Early diagnosis is important to avoid long-term vision problems like amblyopia. Squints are treatable, especially if caught early.

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