WHAT ARE TYPES OF SQUINTS ?

There are a number of different types of squint in each of these three groups, which have their own individual characteristics and treatments.

• ESOTROPIAS An esotropia is the medical name for a convergent squint where one eye turns in towards the nose.
• EXOTROPIAS An exotropia is the medical name for a divergent squint where the one eye turns outwards.
• HYPERTROPIAS AND HYPOTROPIAS These terms refer to vertical squints where one eye is higher (hypertropia) or lower (hypotropia) than the fellow eye.
• PARALYTIC SQUINTS There are three nerves which send signals to the six eye muscles, these are the third, fourth and sixth cranial nerves. Damage to these nerves as result of poor blood supply to the nerve, pressure on the nerve or head injuries will cause limited eye movements and a squint.

HOW DOES A SQUINT AFFECT MY CHILD ?

An eye with a squint may become unable to see clearly. This weak eye is called a lazy eye. Lazy eye can only be cured if detected and treated early. The earlier the treatment, the better the results. A person with a squint can only use one eye at a time. A person with two good eyes will be able to judge distances and depth more accurately than one with a squint. This may affect the choice of your child’s future career and sports. A squint may also affect the appearance and self-confidence of your child. Hence it is sometimes desirable to operate on the child’s squint at an early age. Last, but not least, an eye with a squint may have other conditions which need treatment. For all these reasons, any infant or child with a squint should be examined by an eye specialist.

WHAT CAUSES A SQUINT ?

There are many causes. It may be due to a disorder of a part of the brain controlling eye movements or it may be caused by weak eye muscles, heredity, cataract and nerve conditions. Also, any eye with poor sight tends to squint.

HOW IS A SQUINT TREATED ?

A child with a squint needs a full eye checkup. This may take time as young children are often uncooperative and may need to be sedated. Even then it may still be necessary to come back another day to confirm the findings or even to put the child to sleep under general anaesthesia to allow an accurate examination. Treatment may include a combination of patching, eye glasses, eye drops, eye exercises, and surgery. Treatment using the spectacles to correct any refractive errors may cure some types of squint, but to be effective the spectacles must be worn most of the time. As children often resist, the responsibility falls to the parents to make sure they wear their spectacles constantly. Any lazy eye must be treated. The most effective method is to cover the good eye with a patch so that the child is forced to use the lazy eye. Adequate treatment of lazy eye improves the results of surgery. Lastly, the eyes must be straightened to improve the appearance and to allow the child to use both eyes together, done usually by surgery. Surgery is only recommended if patching or eye glasses do not work.

HOW DOES SQUINT SURGERY WORK ?

Squint surgery is an operation on the muscles that move the eye. Strabismus surgery involves tightening the weak muscles and/or loosening the stronger ones so that the eyes are positioned better. Special absorbable stitches will hold the eye muscles in their new position.The surgeon will not cut the skin around the eye, take the eye out of its socket or use any lasers during the operation. Sometimes both eyes need to be operated upon but this provides hardly any risk to the eye.