SQUINT TREATMENT

OverviewA squint, also called strabismus, is where the eyes point in di erent ff directions. It's particularly common in young children, but can occur at any age.One of the eyes may turn in, out, up or down while the other eye looks ahead. This may happen all the time or it may come and go.

Treatment is usually recommended to correct a squint, as it's unlikely to get better on its own and it could cause further problems if not treated early on.

When to get medical adviceGet advice if:

your child has a squint all the timeyour child is older than 3 months and has a squint that comes and goes – in babies younger than this, squints that come and go are common and are not usually a cause for concernyou have any concerns about your child's vision – signs of a problem caninclude regularly turning their head to one side or keeping one eye closed when looking at thingsyou develop a squint or double vision later in life

A GP, health visitor or local opticians service can refer you to an eye specialist for some simple tests and treatment if necessary.

Treatments and surgery for a squint

The main treatments for a squint are:

Glasses – these can help if a squint is caused by a problem with your child's eyesight, such as long-sightedness.Eye exercises – exercises for the muscles that control eye movement may sometimes help the eyes work together better.

Glasses – these can help if a squint is caused by a problem with your child's eyesight, such as long-sightedness.Eye exercises – exercises for the muscles that control eye movement may sometimes help the eyes work together better.

If your child has a lazy eye as a result of their squint it may need to be treated first.

Treatment for a lazy eye usually involves wearing a patch over the una ected ff eye to help improve vision in the a ectedff eye.

Problems that can occur if a squint is not treated

It's important not to ignore a squint that happens all the time or occurs after 3 months of age.It could lead to further problems if left untreated, such as:

Persistent blurred or double visionA lazy eye – where the brain starts to ignore signals coming from the a ected ff eye, so your child does not develop normal eyesightEmbarrassment or low self-esteem

Surgery can help improve the alignment of the eyes even if a squint has been left untreated for a long time, but any vision problems may be permanent if they are not treated at a young age.

Causes of squintsThe exact cause of a squint is not always known.Some people are born with a squint and others develop one later in life. Sometimes they run in families.In children, a squint is often caused by the eye attempting to overcome a visionproblem, such as:

Short-sightedness – di culty ffi seeing things that are far away Long-sightedness – di culty ffi seeing nearby objectsAstigmatism – where the front of the eye is unevenly curved, causing blurred

Rarer causes of a squint include: Some infections, such as measles

Some genetic conditions or syndromes, such as down's syndrome

Developmental delays Cerebral palsy

Other problems with the brain or nerves

Causes of squintsA squint can also sometimes be a symptom of a rare type of childhood eye cancer called retinoblastoma. Take your child to see a GP if they have a squint to rule out this condition.

What happens during squint surgery

The exact cause of a squint is not always known.Some people are bothe eye is held open using an instrument called a lid speculum – sometimes it may be necessary to operate on both eyes to get the alignment right.The surgeon detaches part of the muscle connected to the eye and moves itinto a new position so that the eyes point in the same direction.The muscles are fixed in their new position with dissolvable stitches – these are hidden behind the eye so you will not be able to see them afterwards.

What happens during squint surgery

You may experience some of the following side e ects:ffEye pain – this tends to last at least a few days and often feels like grit or sand in the eye; taking simple painkillers such as paracetamol can help, although children under 16 should not be given aspirinRed eyes – this can last for a couple of months; you may also have blood inyour tears for a day or twoItchy eyes – this is caused by the stitches and it may last a few weeks until they dissolve; try not to rub your eyesDouble vision – this usually passes after a week or so, but can last longer

You'll be asked to attend visits with an eye specialist after surgery. Contact your Doctor if you have any severe or lasting side e ects from ffsurgery.