Squint

What is Squint (Strabismus)?

Squint is a misalignment of the two eyes so that both the eyes are not looking in the same direction. This misalignment may be constant, being present throughout the day, or it may appear sometimes and the rest of the time the eyes may be straight. This condition may be commonly found in children, though it can also occur in adults.

What causes Squint?

Six muscles control the movement of each eye. Each of these muscles act along with its counterpart in the other eye to keep both the eyes aligned properly. Misalignment occurs when there is a loss of coordination between the muscles of the two eyes. This misalignment may be the same in all directions of gaze, or in some conditions the misalignment may be more in one direction of gaze, e.g. in squint due to nerve palsy.

Sometimes where there is a refractive error such as hyperopia (long sightedness), the eye may inwardly digress. Poor vision in an eye because of some other eye disease like cataract, etc. may also cause the eye to digress. It is therefore important that a thorough check up is undergone to rule out any other causes of the loss of vision.

Symptoms of Squint

In childhood, one may notice deviation in the child’s eyesight. This is especially prevalent after the first month of birth. Adults will notice a double vision or a misalignment of the eyes.