Squint eye is a condition where the eyes are not aligned and are not looking in the same direction. This condition is also referred to as strabismus. Squint eye condition is commonly seen in children and is called paediatric squint eye. Sometimes, the misalignment can be very slight or only experienced occasionally. Squints are seen in 1 out of 20 children. They are most likely to develop squint eyes before the age of 3 years and sometimes babies can also be born with squint eyes. Most of the time squint is caused as a result of children trying to overcome a vision problem and other times the reason is unknown. It can also be hereditary. Squints are classified based on:
1. Direction of Squinting Eye
Esotropia – If an eye turns inwards.
Exotropia – If an eye turns outwards.
Hypertropia – If an eye turns upwards.
Hypotropia – If an eye turns downwards.
2. Occurrence of Squint Eyes
Constant Squint – If it is present all the time.
Intermittent Squint – If it comes and goes.
3. Types of Squint Eyes
True Squint – One or both eyes are squinting
Pseudo squint – eyes appear to squint but are actually aligned on examination.
If your child is suffering from squint eyes, the most obvious symptom is misaligned eyes or eyes that are pointed in two different directions. Other symptoms that you may observe are:
Some children are born with squint and others develop it later in life. One possible reason for this could be hereditary and another common reason could be the eye attempting to overcome vision problems such as short-sightedness, long-sightedness and astigmatism. Rare causes of squint include:
It is always recommended to take your child to a paediatric squint specialist to diagnose and examine the cause to prevent further complications. At Nethradhama, we have a team and department dedicated to taking care of paediatric squint.
A paediatric ophthalmologist will perform a complete eye examination to diagnose squint. They will also go through their medical history to see if there is a root cause for your child’s squint condition. Then they will examine your child’s visual reading ability and carry out corneal light reflex tests to find the position of their eyes.
An in-depth eye examination for paediatric squint in children can be performed at Nethradhama with great efficiency and safety.
Treatment options available for paediatric squint include:
Sometimes children with squint will get used to using only one eye which results in the affected eye losing vision completely. This is called Amblyopia or lazy eye. So patching is recommended for the unaffected eye to motivate the usage of squint affected eye.
If the reason for the squint is vision difficulties, your doctor will recommend corrective lenses to eliminate the cause and then the squint condition.
Eye exercises are recommended to treat the inability to focus on nearby objects that can also result in squint eyes. This usually helps in intermittent squint.
An ophthalmologist might also recommend eye drops that can help with overactive eye muscles.
Squint surgery is a common treatment procedure. The surgeon will completely change the eye muscles to align it properly. This procedure is performed with anaesthesia and may or may not be performed on both eyes. This squint eye surgery can include one of these steps:
1. Resection
Tightening of eye muscles by shortening them.
2. Recession
Weakening of eye muscles by moving them
3. Plication
Tightening eye muscles by folding or reattaching them.
If you leave squint eyes untreated in children, it may cause the following complications:
Here are the steps you can follow to prevent squint eyes in children:
Schedule regular eye check-up sessions with a qualified ophthalmologist at least once a year for early detection and diagnosis of squint or any other eye conditions that have the potential to cause squint eyes.
Have a fun time with eye exercises with your children. This can help strengthen eye muscles and improve eye movement and coordination.
Excessive screen time can cause fatigue, headache and loss of vision in children. vision, inability to focus in children. Make sure to strictly limit their screen time and maintain a safe distance between eyes and screen better for eye health in children.
Proper lighting is essential while reading or watching. Make sure to have adequate lighting in your child’s play areas and study rooms.
Squint eyes in children are worrisome and if not treated properly it can lead to underconfidence in children. Nethradhama Super Speciality Eye Hospital offers the best paediatric squint treatment and has been one of the best places for the treatment of paediatric diseases as a whole
Our eyes are super important, and taking care of them is key to living a full life. Whether you love reading, working on the computer,
Our eyes are super important, and taking care of them is key to living a full life. Whether you love reading, working on the computer,
Our eyes are super important, and taking care of them is key to living a full life. Whether you love reading, working on the computer,
Our eyes are super important, and taking care of them is key to living a full life. Whether you love reading, working on the computer,
Our eyes are super important, and taking care of them is key to living a full life. Whether you love reading, working on the computer,
Our eyes are super important, and taking care of them is key to living a full life. Whether you love reading, working on the computer,
