Causes of Squint?
Squint may be caused by any of the following:

• Weakened muscles or abnormal nerve impulses to the eye muscles
• Heredity
• Blurred or poor vision ‘Conditions inside the eye such as cataract

Symptoms of squint
Main complaint of patient is that the eyes are not straight. Sometimes, a youngster will squint or close one eye in bright sunlight. Faulty depth perception may be present. Some children turn their face or tilt head in a specific direction in order to use their eyes together.

Treatment
Patient often gets the false impression that child may “outgrow” the problem. If a child has two eyes pointed in different directions, eye examination by 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 check-up, including detailed study of the inner parts of the eye, an ophthalmologist can recommend appropriate optical, medical and surgical therapy.

Non Surgical Treatment
Some squints are caused because of refractive errors. For such cases, wearing prescribed glasses can correct squint completely.

Surgical Treatment
Most patients require surgical corrections. Surgery is done
under anaesthesia, in children and under local anaesthesia in adults.

Facts about Squint Surgery

• Squint involves both eye, It may be obvious only in one eye
• Surgery is done on eye muscles situated out side the eyeball.
• Muscles are adjusted to correct the position of eye in straight gaze
• One or more muscles may be operated depending upon type and severity of squint
• Surgery is done either on both eyes simultaneously or one eye at a time
• Squint surgery can be done in any eye
• Other eye surgery may be required later
• Surgery does not worsen the patients sight
• Most of the surgeries are for “cosmetic” reasons
• Patient may experience double vision temporally after surgery. This usually resolve in few days. Personalize Your Vision – We Make Great Vision Affordable
• Patient should be free of any general illness
• Parents should inform doctors of systemic disease especially cardiac problems and fits
• Routine blood investigations and X-rays are required before surgery
• Patient undergoing general anaesthesia should not consume water or solids foods at least four hours before surgery.
• Anaesthetist fitness should be obtained before receiving anaesthesia
• Eye is bandaged for one day after surgery.
• Patients are usually freed from hospital same day when the effect of anaesthesia wears off
• Eye drops are used for one month after surgery
• Oral medicines are used for first few days after surgery
• First follow—up is on next day, after one week and after one month of surgery.
• Further follow-up depends upon patients requirement for additional treatments for Amblyopia or refractive errors etc.
• Patients can start normal activities form next day of surgery
• Patient should avoid water entering the eyes for at least a week after surgery
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In case of doubt please consult our doctors. Child with squint do not outgrow the condition child with squint usually has defective vision which can be corrected by proper treatment if initiated early in life treatment for squint may be non-surgical which include glasses or patching of eyes surgical treatment of eye if indicated should be at the earliest possible age; this allows better surgical results and binocular function.