Squint

A “squint” is the common name for ‘strabismus’ which is the medical term used to describe eyes that are not pointing in the same direction, or which are misaligned. Squints are also sometimes called ‘lazy eye’, to refer to a turned eye, but this is not an accurate description. Squints can be classified according to the direction of the turn of the eye: esotropia (convergent) refers to an eye that turns inwards towards the nose; exotropia (divergent) refers to an eye that points outwards; hypertropia is when the eye is in an upward direction.

The squint may be present all or only part of the time, in only one eye or alternating between the two eyes.

A squint can occur for a number of reasons:

• Refractive (focusing) abnormality
• Eye muscle imbalance
• It can run in families
• Illness can make it obvious
• Fatigue, stress or extended work load
• Injury
• Rarely, it can be due to other diseases or illness

Early detection and treatment especially in children is important to prevent the development of "lazy eye". If you have a family history of squints or are concerned that your child may have a squint, do consult your eye doctor early for a thorough assessment.

Squints may manifest as the persistent turning of the head to look at objects, difficulties in hand and eye coordination, ascending or descending stairs or kerbs, crossing the street, driving, various sports and other activities of daily living which require stereopsis and peripheral vision, clumsiness or tendency to bump into objects and or people.

The type and amount of surgery to perform for a particular squint is dependant on each individual's presentation and severity. This requires a thorough assessments and may require several follow-ups for accurate measurment and monitoring of the condition, prior to surgery.

Not all patients require surgery for squints. Other methods such as: Prisms, refractive lenses, vision therapy, eye patching and certain medications have been used to help patients achieve fusion (alignment of the eyes) and minimize double vision.