Squint Eye Treatment in Mumbai

Understanding Squint

Squint, also called strabismus, is a condition where both eyes do not point in the same direction at the same time. One eye may look straight while the other turns inward, outward, upward, or downward.

The misalignment may be constant or intermittent. It is often noticed in childhood, but adults can also develop squint because of nerve, muscle, thyroid, trauma, or other health-related causes.

Early evaluation is important because untreated childhood squint can affect visual development, depth perception, and may lead to amblyopia, commonly called lazy eye.

Types of squint

• Convergent squint or esotropia: One eye turns inward toward the nose while the other eye looks straight.
• Divergent squint or exotropia: One eye turns outward, often noticed more when a person is tired, daydreaming, or looking at distant objects.
• Vertical squint: One eye turns upward or downward, affecting alignment and depth perception.

Causes of squint

In many children, the exact cause is not clear. Squint often occurs because the brain has difficulty coordinating eye movement and visual focus together.

• Refractive errors such as hypermetropia, myopia, or astigmatism.
• Unequal spectacle power between the two eyes.
• Weak vision in one eye.
• Problems affecting the nerves or muscles that move the eyes.
• Thyroid eye disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, or stroke.
• Eye injury, head injury, or previous eye surgery.

Warning signs that need prompt care

A sudden squint, new double vision, uncontrolled eye movements, eye movement restriction, headache with vomiting, or a new inward eye turn after trauma should be assessed quickly. Sudden-onset squint can sometimes be linked to nerve palsy, raised intracranial pressure, thyroid eye disease, or other medical conditions.

Non-surgical treatment

Not every squint requires surgery. The treatment plan depends on the cause, the patient's age, eye power, vision in each eye, and the direction and amount of misalignment.

• Spectacles or contact lenses to correct refractive error.
• Patching or amblyopia therapy when one eye is weaker.
• Eye exercises in selected binocular vision problems.
• Prism glasses to reduce double vision or help the brain fuse two images into one.
• Botulinum toxin injections in selected children or adults when the surgeon considers it suitable.

Squint surgery

Squint surgery aims to improve eye alignment by weakening, tightening, or repositioning selected eye muscles. The surgery may involve one or both eyes depending on the direction and degree of squint.

The amount of correction is planned after detailed measurements. Surgery can improve alignment, help binocular function in suitable patients, and reduce the cosmetic impact of visible eye misalignment.

Why early diagnosis matters

In young children, the brain is still learning to use both eyes together. Early treatment can help protect visual development, reduce the risk of amblyopia, and improve the chance of better binocular vision.