Introduction

A squint, also called strabismus,is where the eyes point in different directions. It's particularly common in young children, but can occur at any age.

One ofthe eyes may turn in, out, up or down while the other eye looks ahead.

Thismayhappen all the timeor it may come and go.

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

This page covers:

When to get medical advice

Treatments and surgery

Possible further problems

Causes

When to get medical advice

Get adviceif:

• your child has a squint all the time
• your child isolder thanthree months and has a squint that comes and goes in babies younger than this, squints that come and go arecommonand aren't usually a cause for concern
• you have any concerns about your child's visionsigns of a problem can includeregularly turning their head toone side or keeping one eye closedwhen looking at things
• you develop a squint or Double vision later in life

Your 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 squintare:

• Glasses these can help if a squint is caused by a problem with your child's eyesight, such as long-sightedness .
• Eye exercisesspecial exercises for the muscles that control eye movementmaysometimes help the eyes work together better.
• Surgery this involves moving the muscles that control eye movement so the eyes line up correctly. It may be recommended if glasses aren't fully effective on their own.
• Injections into the eye muscles these weaken the eye muscles, which canhelpthe eyes line up better. But the effect usually lasts less than three months.

If your childhas a lazy eye as a result of their squint (read about possible further problems below),it may need to be treated first.

Treatment for a lazy eye usually involves wearinga patch over the unaffected eye to help improve vision in the affected eye.

Problems that can occur if a squint isn't treated

It's important not to ignore a squint that happens all the time or occurs after three months of age.

It could lead to further problems if left untreated, such as:

• persistent blurred or double vision
• a lazy eye where the brain starts to ignore signals coming from the affected eye, so your child doesn't develop normal eyesight
• embarrassment or low self-esteem

Surgery can help improve thealignment of the eyes even if a squint has been left untreated for a long time,but any vision problems maybe permanent if they're not treated at a young age.

Causes of squints

The exact cause of a squint isn't always known.

Somepeople are born with them and others develop themlater in life. Sometimes they run in families.

In children, they're often caused bythe eye attempting to overcome a vision problem, such as:

• short-sightedness difficulty seeing things that are far away
• long-sightedness difficulty seeing nearby objects
• astigmatism where the front of the eye is unevenly curved, causing blurred vision

There are also several rarer causes,including some infections (such as measles ), some genetic conditions(such as Down's syndrome ), developmental delays, cerebral palsy and other problems with the brain or nerves.