Squint is a condition in which there is a misalignment of the eyes. In other words the eyes do not look in the same direction. Both the eyes may not focus on the object one is looking at. One eye maybe looking to focus on the object while the other eye is turned inwards, outward, downwards or upwards. The movement of the eyes is controlled by the muscles in the eye. If any one muscle is stronger then the eye will be turned in the direction of that muscle. The treatment for squint generally involves weakening the stronger muscle and strengthening the weaker muscle through a surgery.
Squint treatment in Children
Researches say that 4 % of children are affected with squint. While mild cases of squint in children are managed with spectacles, severe cases of squint may require some other treatment. The cure involves a combination of treatments and regular examinations at the concerned doctor. Some of the common ways to treat squint in children are –
Glasses
Sometimes wearing glasses result in the squint becoming less noticeable or it may disappear completely. This type of squint is known as accomodative squint and it can be cured by wearing glasses.
Exercise
Some exercises may be prescribed which help in strengthening the ability of the eyes to work together. It is particularly helpful in case of older children.
Occlusion therapy
The weaker eye of the child is covered with a patch. This makes the child use the weaker eye to see which helps to build up the pathway between the eye and the brain. Sometimes eye drops are also used as an alternative to patch which blurs the vision in the eye.
Surgery
In a few cases the child may require a surgery to straighten the squint. Surgery is needed if the squint is very pronounced and is not cured by wearing glasses.
Squint Treatment in Adults
Most adults who have squint have had this condition since childhood. Squint in adults can be treated in the following ways –
Eye exercises
They are helpful for treating squints in adults in which they eyes have a difficulty in aligning themselves for close work such as reading or writing. Close work requires both the eyes to focus inward on objects like books, thread or a needle. Some eye exercises can help to retrain the eyes to focus inward together.
Prism eye glasses
Glasses with prisms can help to correct mild double vision associated with squints in adults. It is a clear, wedge- shaped lens that bends, or refracts light rays. The prism eye glasses realign the images so that the eyes can see only one image.
Eye Muscle Surgery
The eye specialist surgically loosen, tighten or reposition selected eye muscles to re balance the eyes so that they can work together. It is the most common treatment for squints in adults.