Patient Journey
Squint
What is a Squint?
It is a condition in which both eyes do not look in the same direction at the same time One eye may turn inwards (convergent), outwards (divergent), upwards, or downwards, while the other eye looks straight ahead.
What are the types of squint?
The main types of squint are:
- Convergent squint (esotropia): The eye turns inward.
- Divergent squint (exotropia): The eye turns outward.
- Vertical squint: The eye turns up (hypertropia) or down (hypotropia).
- Latent squint (phoria): Hidden squint that only appears when one eye is covered.
- Manifest squint (tropia): Always present even when both eyes are open.
What are the causes of squint?
- Refractive errors such as longsightedness
- Muscle imbalance between the extraocular muscles
- Problems with the brain or nerves
- Some genetic conditions or syndromes, such as Down's syndrome Trauma
- Poor vision in one eye
What is the clinical picture of squint?
- Deviation of one eye
- Double vision
- Closing or covering one eye in bright light
- Abnormal head posture (tilt or turn)
- Decreased depth perception
- Amblyopia (lazy eye) in long-standing cases
What are the treatment options of squint?
- Corrective glasses (especially for refractive errors)
- Patching (occlusion therapy for amblyopia)
- Eye muscle exercises (orthoptic exercises)
- Surgery (to realign the eye muscles)
- Botox injections (in some cases)
