Squint

Strabismus is the medical term for misalignment of the eyes — two eyes that are not straight

The eyes need to be straight for the brain to combine the images seen by the two eyes into a single picture. This gives us 3-D vision, which allows us to judge depth. Any turn of the eye can interrupt 3-D vision. Loss of 3-D vison makes many tasks difficult , like pouring coffee into a cup or getting down a staircase. Also a person without 3-D vision cannot enter into certain professions where this is crucial.

The goal of treatment is for your child to have good vision in each eye, as well as good binocular (3-D) vision. If your child’s squint has caused amblyopia, treatment will aim at bringing the vision up to normal in the “lazy” eye first. Glasses may help for eyes that are out of focus, especially when one is much worse than the other. They may also help straighten the eyes. Surgery on the eye muscles may be necessary, especially when glasses are not enough to straighten the eyes. Surgery may be necessary on one or both eyes depending on the type & amount of squint.

The results of treatment can be excellent. How much your child’s vision improves depends on how early in life and how quickly treatment was started. This is especially true for amblyopia and for strabismus that develops in a child who was born with straight eyes. If treatment is delayed too long, it may not be possible to completely restore your child’s vision. This kind of vision problem can be effectively prevented, so it is important to seek professional advice as soon as possible.